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foundations·

A Theological Journal
published by the
British Evangelical
Council
If the foundations
be destroyed, what
can the righteous do?
ISSUE No.11
Price £"l.15
November, 1983
CON TEN T S
LUTHER TODAY
Rev Geraint Morgan BA
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH: WHAT IT MEANS
Rev Pr.ofessor Douglas Macmillan MA
THE BIBLICAL LANGUAGES:
THEIR USE AND B ~ S E IN THE MINISTRY
(Part 2)
Rev Philip Ho Eveson MA MTh
REVIEWS IN CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGY
The Editor
'MEMOIR OF THE WESTMINSTER DIVINES'
Review by Rev Gilbert Evans
'CALVINUS REFORMATOR'
Review by the Editor
The personal views of writers are not
necessarily endorsed by the B.E.C.
Those wanting more information about the B.E.C.
should write to the General Secretary,
p. 1
p.1S
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Rev Alan Gibson BD, 113 Victoria Street, St. Albans
ALl 3TJ
FOUNDATIONS is published in November and May; its aim
is to acquaint readers, especially Pastors
and Elders, with contemporary theological
issues and provide stimulating articles and
reviews in the areas of biblical theology,
exegesis, church history, preaching and
pastoralia. We seek to combine sound
scholarship with the practical and relevant
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EDITOR Rev Dr Eryl Davies MA BD
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Rev Professor A.C.Boyd MA BD (Edinburgh)
Rev Stephen Dray MA BD (London)
Rev Brian Edwards BD (Surbiton)
Rev Hywel R.Jones MA (Wrexham)
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LUTHER TODAY
Rev Geraint Morgan BA (Colwyn Bay)
To commemorate the 500th anniversary of Luther's birth,
we include this article on his commentaries and the next
article by Douglas Macmillan on the nature of justifi-
cation by faith.
In no way could we honour the memory of
luther more than by reading his works
and allowing him to speak to us today.
This has now been made possible by the
Concordia Publishing House of St. louis,
Missouri and the Fortress Press (formerly
Mr Morgan is
Pastor of the
Welsh Evangelical
Church in Colwyn
Bay, Clwyd.
Muhlenberg Press) of Philadelphia who have produced a 54 volume
edition of luther's works with an index volume to follow. These hard-
backed volumes of between 400 and 500 pages each are pleasingly pro-
duced in a print that is easy on the eye.
Or Jaroslav Pelikan, editor of 22 of the volumes, says in his 'General
Introduction' in Volume 12, which was the first of the series to be
published (1955): "The translations of luther's work in this edition
are intended to make many of his writings accessible in modern English
for the first time". It has certainly been produced in clear, idio-
matic English that can be read with ease. The edition is based on the
monumental German Weimar edition (1883 ff) but in certain places the
edi tor and translators have departed from its readings and findings.
In each volume the translator has been responsible primarily for
matters of text and language while the editor has been responsible
for the historical and theological comments in the introductions and
footnotes. The editor has also attempted to trace the many "referen-
ces, citations, and allusions to Scripture, Christian writers, and
classical authors in these lectures, many of them not identified at
all, or erroneously labelled in other editions, including the Weimar
edi tion". Each volume is supplied wi th its own indices. The first
30 volumes contain luther's Commentaries, the remainder being what
have been termed his "Reformation Writings". I propose to confine my
remarks in this article to his Commentaries.
One person has commented that "Although one learns a great deal about
luther's earthshaking achievements by reading the works of competent
1.
biographers, it is impossible to arrive at an adequate understanding
of this great man's importance in the field of theology unless one
digs and qe1ves in his writings", and Luther comes across with
striking forcefulness in these translations.
Modern scholars, including many conservative ones, would be em-
barrassed to include in a scholarly commentary any elements of admoni-
tion or application. But this was regarded by Luth:er to be his duty
and that is what makes his works so relevant to today. It also made
them relevant in his own day to both student and peasant. As the
general editor comments: "It is always difficult, and sometimes im-
possible, to ,determine from the work itself whether it originated in
the c 1 a s s ~ m or in thj pu1pit".1 It is the divorce between exposition
and application that has made many modern conservative commentaries
so sterile. One wonders to what extent their authors sought to impress
their liberal contemporaries or el/en' to have an eye for their own
academic advancement. It is precisely here that Luther shines! He
sought the truth, and proclaimed it without fear or favour.
It is important to realise, however, that not all Luther's commen-
taries are of equal value. He learnt as he lectured and preached his
way through the Bible - and he readily admitted this: "I was mo're
skilful after I had lectured in the university on St Paul's episties
to the Romans, to the Ga1atians, and the one to the Hebrews". But his
first series of lectures was on the Psalms delivered 1513-1515,
(Volumes 10 and 11). These were never published by him because he was
too busy, and they now appear in English for the first time. An
explanation of Luther's method will indicate the medieval influences
on Luther at this early stage of his career. He provided his students
wi th the Latin text of the Vu1gate and "contracted with Johann
Grunenberg to print, in a special edition with wide margins and
generous interlinear spaces, the Latin text of the Psalter together
wi th appropriate headings and short summaries of the contents of the
individual psalms. Into the white space of one of these printed copies
Luther then wrote his own interlinear and marginal notes ••• These
notes are the so-called glosses - brief explanations, mostly of a
grammatical and philological nature, of individual words and phrases
of the Biblical text. The students were expected to enter into their
own, identical copies of the Psalter what Luther dictated from his.
This was the normal way to begin such lectures. The glosses would then
be followed by the so-called scholia - a wider interpretation of as
many phrases or statements of the text as the lecturer chose, touching
2.
theological concepts and questions near and far and providing a wide
range of support from Scripture generally and from the works of
previous recognised interpreters. Hilton Oswald, the editor who took
over the work of Jaraslav Pelikan and from whose introduction the
above explanation is taken, has only included the scholia in these
two volumes, supplemented occasionally by reference to the glosses
in the footnotes. This means that one-third of the Psalms are missing
because no scholia of them are preserved.
Perhaps these early volumes are more interesting as a study of
Luther's own and theological development rather than as an
exposition of the text for present-day preachers. As the editor indi-
cates: "In general, Luther here still follows the traditional manner
of his day, presenting a fourfold interpretation of a passage and
labelling these interpretations as literal (or historical), allegori-
cal, or anagogical." Furthermore he does not follow the verse sequence
when commenting on a Psalm but "allowed himself great freedom to dart
back and forth within the psalm" 2 and the same verse may be treated
several times. Yet one of his aims stands out clearly, namely to point
to Christ in all the Scriptures: "Every prophecy" says Luther, "and
every prophet must be understood as referring to Christ the Lord,
except where it is clear from plain words that someone else is spoken
of. For this He Himself says: 'Search the Scriptures ... and it is
they that bear witness to Me' (John 5:39). Otherwise it is most
certain that the searchers will not find what they are searching for.lI
That last sentence explains why so many modern commentators have gone
astray in their observations on the Old Testament. Luther would
certainly not agree to approach the Old Testament as if the New Testa-
ment did not exist. Rather, as he says in his Preface: lIIf the Old
Testament can be interpreted by human wisdom without the New Testa-
ment, I should say that the New Testament has been given to no
purpose." Referring to .Psalm 34:5: "They looked unto Him and were
lightened", he says: "But others make a detour and purposely, as it
were, avoid Christ, so they put off approaching Him with the text.
As for me, when I have a text that is like a hard shell, I immediately
dash it against the Rock and find the sweetest kernel." And perhaps
some of us will find it worthwhile ploughing through even these early
commentaries to find a gem such as that statement - for Luther's
statements have the habit of sticking in the mind.
1513-1517 were formative years for Luther and as James Atkinson says:
"Though he used all the current scholastic terms to express his
3.
thought, all these terms began to carry the evangelical insights that
were later to play such a determinative role in the Reformation". 3
The last thing that one finds in Luther is a cold, analytical and
detached view of the Scriptures. As one person has observed: "The
message, compared with that of other contemporary lectures, reveals
greater individual involvement in the message being expounded." In
other words Luther was involved in his message in the way that every
true preacher should be involved. This was the new note that was
struck in Luther's lectures even though there was much that was tradi-
tional appertaining to their format. That he was "dealing not with
idle academic definitions but with the issues of life and salvation
that affect speaker and hearer directly and personally" is another
apt comment that has been made on his early works.
These "First Lectures on the Psalms" must not be confused with his
later commentaries on Psalms and published in this series in Volumes
12, 13, and 14 under the title: "Selected Psalms". These stem from
1517 to 1539 and most of them reflect a maturer Luther. For this
reason I have inserted in the appended list of Luther's commentaries
the dates when the lectures or sermons were delivered so that readers
might the better judge which are his maturer works.
Luther learnt quickly. And this becomes evident in his second series
of lectures which were on "The Epistle to the Romans" and delivered
in 1515-1516. It is true that he uses the same method of lecturing
as in his first series on the Psalms and also uses much of the vocabu-
lary and teaching forms of his predecessors. But the commentary is
far more useful to the modern reader. "The chief purpose of this
letter," said Luther, "is to break down, to pluck up, and to destroy
all wisdom and righteousness of the flesh." And the reader not only
observes him doing this in the commentary but himself feels searched
and sifted, challenged and humbled. His comments on the opening verse
regarding the Pastor's office and "call", and how he should avoid
seeking popularity on the one hand and being a tyrant on the other
are very relevant: "These are the two main faults from which all the
mistakes of pastors come". Again in commenting on Romans 3:10 he
emphasises the importance of searching one's heart: "We so rarely
analyse ourselves deeply enough to recognise this weakness in our
will, or rather, this disease. And thus we rarely humble ourselves,
rarely seek the grace of God in the right way, for we do not under-
stand, as he says here (v.ll)".
4.
Of course there are portions of the commentary where Luther is dealing
with philosophical problems raised by late medieval writers and these
can only be of academic interest. But the greater part of the book
indicates how skilful he had already become in his understanding of
the righteousness of God. His lectures also on Romans 6 and 7.1-6,
on the believer's death unto sin and unto the law, are most enlighten-
ing and heart warming. Again the distinction he draws between the
death of the believer and that of the unbeliever is frighteningly
clear. The believer's relation to sin ends at his death, so that to
him: "death is only a figure, a symbol, and like death painted on a
wall when compared with eternal death". But for the unbeliever "sin
lives on and continues forever".
His warm, pastoral heart is displayed in his comments on Chapter 8
verses 26 and 27, for example, where he gives a most thought-provoking
exposi tion on prayer and the relationship between our requests and
God's answer: "It is not a bad sign but a very good one, if things
seem to turn out contrary to our requests." After referring to Isaiah
55:8-9 and other Scriptures he continues: "And He does all this
because it is the nature of God first to destroy and tear down what-
ever is in us before He gives us His good things, as the Scripture
says: 'The Lord makes poor and makes rich, He brings down to hell and
raises up' (1 Sam.2:7)".
Some readers may already possess the edition of Luther's commentary
on 'Romans' published in the 'Library of Christian Classics' (Vol.15:
SCM), but that edition only contained the scholia. "The present trans-
lation reproduces for the first time in English both the complete
interlinear and marginal glosses and the scholia", says H.C.Oswald
in his 'Introduction' to this volume. He explains further that: "In
addition to Luther's own handwritten copy of both the glosses and the
scholia, there are extant a number of student notebooks of these
lectures ••• and it is interesting to compare the students' record
with what the lecturer's own manuscript tells us he had planned to
say." Consequently we have a very reliable account of the lectures.
Throughout his lectures on 'Romans' we see Luther freeing himself from
the influence of medieval commentators. He makes use of them if they
are useful but frequently disagrees with them and refutes their argu-
ments. Already he has discarded the fourfold interpretation of Scrip-
ture which was used by the scholastics and which he had utilised in
his first series of lectures on the Psalms.
5.
Luther followed his lectures on IRomans
l
with a series on IGalatians
l
(1516-1517) and IHebrews
l
(1517-1518). Though still following the
medieval pattern of providing glosses as well as scholia, his charac-
teristic Biblical stance is becoming increasingly evident. Only the
scholia have been translated in the IHebrews I volume because, says
the editor, "There is virtually no way to translate the glosses in
their entirety. Most of them make sense only in relation to the Latin
(or even the Greek) text of the Epistle while others are cryptic and
fragmentary."
More readers will be familiar with Luther1s commentary on IGalatians
l
than any other because several editions have appeared in English. What
perhaps is not so widely known is that he produced two commentaries
on this epistle to which he fondly referred as: liMy Katie von Bora".
His first series of lectures were delivered in 1516-1517 and published
in 1519 when he significantly revised and expanded some of his earlier
judgments. In 1523 he published a revised and abbreviated version of
this commentary. Then in 1531 he delivered another set of discourses
on IGalatians I and these were published in 1535 and revised in 1538.
All previous English translations have been based on the revised
edition of 1538 but in this new series both the 1519 lectures and the
discourses of 1535 are now published. It has been observed: liThe dis-
courses on IGalatians I that were published in 1535 show Luther at his
best. Here one sees the Reformer as a mature scholar and as a master
of the art of presenting exegesis in a refreshingly informal manner."
Doctrinally Luther had not changed his position on justification by
fai th in 1535 from what it had been in 1519 but liThe Luther of 1535
has at his command far greater simplicity and pungency of expression
than one finds in the work of 1519."
What is deeply challenging to us today is the way in which luther
refused to accept any teaching for which he could not find a Scrip-
tural basis. He did not seek extra-biblical proofs of the veracity
of the Scriptures. The Bible had become alive to him and it is a true
comment that has been made of him that lithe great man I s whole being
is aflame with zeal as he comments on the words of St Paul."
His ISermons on the Gospel of John
l
(1537-1540) similarly come from
the heart and go to the heart. It was little wonder that peasants and
students crowded to listen to him. His secret lay in his conviction
that correct doctrine alone was not enough but that the power of the
Holy Spirit was essential to reach the hearts of men. There is much
6.
to be learnt in these sermons, not least the way in which he applies
the Scriptures to both himself and his listeners. Through them also
we get to know the real Luther - a man whose heart was overflowing
wi th love for his Saviour and for his fellowmen. It would be a pity,
however, if only preachers read these sermons. One person has des-
cribed these volumes of sermons as: "a book for everybody". We should
not forget that even children listened with benefit to Luther
preaching.
Luther's own comment in his lectures on '1 Timothy' (1527-1528), was:
"A man teaches when his hearers understand what he is saying." The
mark of a novice, he says, is that he teaches the abstruse parts of
Scripture and ignores the simple - readily confessing at the same time
that he himself had once been like this. But he had learnt that a
bishop must be plain and direct - "the way one speaks to his children
at home." There is also the practical aspect of the Word for the
preacher himself: "Whoever teaches the Word of God correctly should
train himself for godliness. He does not lay the Word down in his
napkin, as a lazy slave does (cf Luke 19:20). He keeps it in use so
that it may not rust or rot away." It is little wonder that he empha-
sised regarding the office of the bishop or preacher: "The pious
aspire to that office with trepidation. They do not come freely and
teach, but they are forced into it, even as I." With such he con-
trasted the false teachers: "who kept rushing about in all directions,
saying that they were driven by the Spirit, by wisdom and by their
talent." His comments on "the Enthusiasts", as he called them, are
worth noting: "The Enthusiasts are not teachers because they don't
strengthen consciences."
It is amazing how contemporary Luther is. His remarks are often far
more relevant to us today at the end of the twentieth century than
they would have been in Spurgeon' s day. One could think that Luther
was writing with certain of the un scriptural emphases of the present
day in mind. Again on the false teachers he says (on 1 Timothy 6:20):
"They have their own empty thoughts and speculations to which they
fi t and adjust Scripture They are simply empty chatterers,
although their fine appearance seems to make them theologians ••• Just
as empty chatter is useless, so this knowledge is falsely boasted of:
'The Spirit provides it in my heart'. This is the knowledge that is
praised. It is renowned and has a great name, and it is advertised
in glowing terms: 'This is something you have never heard before.
Listen carefully'. They bring a sort of wisdom wonderfully advertised,
7.
a glorious wisdom. But it is 'falsely called knowledge'."
It would seem that some would be teachers, who today are a headache
to many pastors, are not a new phenomenon after all - and that is no
1i ttle relief!
Luther had a keen insight into the secular and ecclesiastical affairs
of his time and this is reflected in his writings. But. in addition,
his statements had a prophetic quality which makes his commentaries
timeless in their significance and amazingly contemporaneous.
u t h ~ was a fighter - and a fearless one at that - always opposing
the Lnter.pretatlons of his predecessors, and accusing them of having
failed to comprehend the meaning of the Gospel and of having inter-
preted it as another set of rules. Jaroslav Pelikan has pointed out
in his introduction to Vo1.21: "The Sermon on the Mount and the
Magnificat", that: "A fundamental assumption of Luther's criticisms
and of his exegetical work generally is the unity of the Bible". This,
of course, is an important point for us today for we are still suffer-
ing the effects of those eighteenth and nineteenth century commen-
tators, and their twentieth century offspring, who drove a wedge
between Old Testament and New Testament, and then wedges between Jesus
and Paul, the Synoptics and John, and Paul and Paul. Two characteris-
tics of Luther are noteworthy here. The first is that he identified
himself wi th the struggles of Paul and the parables of Jesus, so
perceiving the fundamental harmony between the two. He recognised that
this unity of experience was not uniformity and in the same way he
recognised the great variety among the books of the New Testament.
Ebeling has indicated that one of his great achievements as an inter-
preter of the New Testament was that he was able to emphasise the
differences of style and expression in the gospels without ever losing
the unity of the whole. Similarly he could see the continuity between
the proclamations of Jesus and the Pauline and Catholic Epistles
wi thout ignoring the particular characteristics of each book and its
author. One should notice that Luther arrived at these conclusions
because he realised that there was a unity between the Christian
experience of the New Testament writers and his own experience. In
other words the Scriptures had spoken first to Luther and as he sought
to walk humbly wi th God in the light of those Scriptures so he came
to see through the mass of false emphases and interpretations of his
predecessors and contemporaries in the Church. Contrary to common
belief Luther had a correct understanding of the relation between
8.
Paul's teaching on justification by faith and James' teaching on
justification by works "Therefore, when St James and the apostle say
that a man is justified by works, they are contending against the
erroneous notion of those who thought that faith suffices without
works, although the apostle does not say that faith justifies without
its own works ... but that it justifies without the works of the Law.
Therefore justification does not demand the works of the Law but a
living faith which produces its own works". 4
The second noteworthy characteristic of Luther's teaching on the unity
of the Bible is his approach to the Old Testament. He saw it as being
absolutely essential for an understanding and correct interpretation
of the New Testament. "By rooting his interpretation of the New Testa-
ment in his understanding of the Old Testament Luther thus helped to
break the exegetical habits of many centuries" for "expositors of the
New Testament had so often drawn upon classical rather than upon
Biblical sources for their materials." 5 We have witnessed a return
in our day to a seeking for an understanding of the New Testament
through exaggerated emphasis on the study of extra-Biblical sources.
This betrays a lack of confidence in the Scriptures as being their
own interpreter. We need to return to Luther's position. "He worked
from the Old Testament in interpreting New Testament terms and con-
cepts ••• He read the Old Testament as Christian Scripture, and he
read the New Testament on the basis of the Old." 6 It is well known
that for many years the concept of God's righteousness both frightened
and angered him. Consequently it is significant that: "It was in part
the realisation of the Hebrew rather than Greek origin behind state-
ments like Romans 1: 17 that brought Luther to his 'wonderful and new
definition of righteousness' and of justification." Previously he
had conceived of 'righteousness' "in a 'passive' way, as that which
God was and that which God possessed", but then he came to realise
that "righteousness had to do with the divine activity and denoted
that which God conferred as a gift." And so "the gates of paradise"
were opened to him.
Heinrick Bornkamm's comment might come as a surprise to many, that
if Luther were alive today he would have occupied a Chair of Old
Testament in a Theological Faculty rather than a Chair of New Testa-
ment or of Systematic Theology. This comment is confirmed by the fact
that of his 30 volumes of commentaries in this present translation
20 of them are on the Old Testament, and it is these that form his
9.
major work. comment is that "Of all Luther's mature works
on the New Testament'the commentary on 'Galatians', in its various
editions, is perhaps the only one that parallels the many commentaries
on books of the Old Testament that he continued to produce". His
"magnus opus", of course, was his lectures on Genesis which occupied
the last decade of his life and which fill the first eight volumes
of this translation. The work was begun in June 1535 but was frequent-
ly interrupted by plagues, illness, frequent travelling, and other
duties. His last lecture on 'Genesis' (Nov.17,1545) was also the last
lecture of his professional life. He died on February 18th 1546.
Peter Meinhold argued that his researches have shown that the theology:
of the 'Lectures on Genesis' has been adulterated by its editors to
conform it to the growing orthodoxy of the second generation of
Lutherans. Certainly Luther's editors allowed themselves great liber-
ties as we can see when we have both his lecture notes and the printed
versions of his commentaries. The 'Lectures on Genesis' are not the
work of his pen nor even a transcript of his lectures. The line of
editorial descent runs from Veit Dietrich to Melanchthon and through
his pupils to later Lutheran theologians. Consequently Jaroslav
Pelikan warns us that we must have some misgivings: "on those sections
of the commentary in which Luther sounds more like Melanchthon than
like any Luther we know." Nevertheless he challenges some of
Meinhold's conclusions, pointing out that: "About most sections of
the commentary any responsible historian of theology must conclude
that if Luther did not really say this, it is difficult to imagine
how Veit Deitrich or even Melanchthon himself could have thought it
up. Therefore the lectures on Genesis are an indispensable source for
our knowledge of Luther's thought, containing as they do his reflec-
tions on hundreds of doctrinal, moral, exegetical, and historical
questions." The above comments on his 'Lectures on Genesis' apply also
to some of his other volumes.
Already by 1524-1526 when he was lecturing on the Minor Prophets it
can be said of Luther: "In his exegesis Luther has here reached a new
level of independence and maturity. He no longer follows but more
often rejects the thoughts of commentators like Jerome and Lyra. He
feels more free than before to fault the Vulgate text on the basis
of references to the original Hebrew text." 7 It was no mean achieve-
ment to have fought himself free of patristic and scholastic shackles.
One should bear in mind that 1524-1526 were crucial years in Luther's
career when he knew that the whole Reformation movement was in the
10.
balance and he himself was being opposed on all sides. IIBut as
responsibilities, anxieties, enmities and threats increased, Luther's
confidence in the message of Scripture also rose to meet every test.
His studies in the Word as well as the resulting lectures on the Word
were a haven of refuge where he found the solace and refreshment
needed to carry on and to reach the decisions required.
1I
At the same
period he was lecturing again on the Psalms and a comment of his on
his favourite Psalm 18 is significant: IIThis Psalm has often been an
outstanding remedy for me against the plots and wiles of the devil.
lI
In preparing his work on Jonah, Habakkuk and Zechariah for publication
Luther did an unusual thing. Having already lectured in Latin on them
in the University he then produced additional German versions of those
lectures. Translations of both these versions are now published in
Volumes 19 and 20. Hil ton Oswald says that IILuther probably did
not even_ consul t .hi.s Latin._ notes as he wrote the German vet"sion}'.
and tbatJh..e .latter IIcontai..ned many. n.ew treatments and omits many-
tho_ug'hts of tbe Latin .•. 1I
Luther's scholarship was extensive and profound but he wore it lightly
and made no display of it. He delivered his lectures in Latin which
had become a second language to him. He understood lithe genius of the
language
ll
and at the same time was a master of his native German.
Luther was never flippant when dealing with the text but always bore
in mind that all Scripture is beneficial. He approached the sacred
words with deepfelt humility. He knew that he was treading on holy
ground and he was always at pains to make his readers come to a sharp
realisation and understanding of the fact. This God-given confidence
in the Scriptures is seen in his approach towards the book of Eccle-
siastes with which he struggled for some time, eventually lecturing
on it in 1526 (published 1532). He admits that it is one of the more
difficult books of the Bible but points out that the IIdifficulties
ll
arise because IIcommentators have failed to understand the purpose of
the book and have taken no intelligent. approach to those strange ways
of speaking called Hebraisms.
1I
He shows that IIEcclesiastes
ll
does not
condemn the creatures of God; it condemns man's depraved affections
and desires.
By 1543 Luther found it necessary to defend his Christological
exegesis of the Old Testament and did so by publishing a treatise liOn
the Divinity of Christ on the Basis of the Last Words of David
11.
{2 Samuel 23:1-7)". In his exposition Luther indicates that the doc-
trines of the Trinity and of the two natures in Christ were already
taught in the Old Testament. As Pelikan indicates: "In so doing, he
set forth not only his exegesis of this passage, but also the hermen-
eutical principles that had guided him in the interpretation of the
remainder of the Old Testament." Luther himself sums it up in the sen-
tence: "Whoever does not have or want to have this Man properly and
truly who is called Jesus Christ, God's Son, whom we Christians pro-
claim, must keep his hands off the Bible ••• The more he studies, the
blinder and more stupid will he grow." In the last issue of 'Founda-
tions' Philip Eveson reminded us of "the importance of spiritual mind
and heart in the approach to the Scriptures" and this is remarkably
illustrated in the life of Luther. It is those "that tremble at His
word" (Isaiah 66:5) who receive light on it and those who know nothing
of that trembling are hardened.
In Luther's lectures on Isaiah (Volume 16: Isaiah 1-39; Volume 17:
Isaiah 40-66), delivered 1527-1530, he warns his hearers against the
extravagant allegorical interpretations of such Church Fathers as
Origen. He himself indulges in a little allegorisation: "almost
reluctantly expressed and quite self-consciously held within the
limi ts of evangelical hermeneutics" (Pelikan). In his lectures on
chapters 40-66: "Luther seems especially concerned about students
preparing for the ministry" (Oswald) and of instilling into them the
comforting truth that had sustained him personally, namely that: "The
Word of our God shall stand for ever" (Isaiah 40:8). He issues a
warning that is very timely to us today: "Beware that you do not
neglect the Word. It indeed stands firm, but it moves and will be
given to others ••• Therefore let us prayerfully keep busy with the
Word" •
Luther's opinion was that: "The Old Testament was best handled in
exposition, the New Testament in sermons." But whether dealing with
the Old Testament or the New I have found that Luther's directness
of application makes the reader sit up and take note as if present
at the great teacher's feet. To read Luther is a searching and
humbling experience. His works are best read systematically and
although he has the teacher's necessary habit of repeating himself,
he does so with variations that drive the point home. His knowledge
of human nature is profound and his knowledge of Scripture wide and
enlightening. But his distinguishing mark is that he seeks to bring
his own reason, and that of his listeners and readers, into captivity
12.
and obedience to Christ. Much of what he wrote was produced merely
in the midst of a busy academic life but during times of much physical
pain and weakness as well as mental and spiritual turmoil. In spite
of these things, plus the opposition from both the Papal Chur.ch and
"the Enthusiasts", he could say: "The spirit of the godly rusts away
unless they are well exercised by tribulations." His invincibility
stemmed from the fact that he attacked his opponents from Scripture
while his heart overflowed with love. It has been truly said that "He
could comfort, console and assure as effectively as he could attack,
castigate, and condemn."
Refreshing and as are all Luther's commentaries, yet they
are based on a painstaking study of the Scriptures with an honest
attempt at a grammatical and historical analysis of the Hebrew and
Greek texts and of translations.
It remains for me but to draw attention to an invaluable companion
volume that Concordia have produced to this series, namely: "Luther
the Expositor: Introduction to the Reformer's Exegetical tlritings"
by Jaroslav Pelikan. In this book Pelikan answ.ers such questions as:
"What principles guided the Reformer in hia expository writings? What
tools did he use? How did he arrive at the conclusions he set forth?
What impelled him to strive for an ever-increasing knowledge of God's
Word?" But in addition he states, and comments, on the principles that
should guide those whp read and study the Reformer's exegetical works,
showing them how to evaluate and understand these writings properly,
objectively and helpfully. Concordia lists "Luther the Expositor" as
an unnumbered volume while Fortress Press considers this as Volume
56!
Concordia now have a new address in England:-
Concordia Publishing House
1B Crane's Way, Boreham Wood,
Herts. WD6 2EU (Tel.Ol-953 3308)
I obtained my own copies through arrangement with a local Christian
Bookshop whereby they ordered all the volumes and allowed me to pay
for them on a monthly basis over a long period of time. I would like
to point out also that Luther's works are all available at 'The
Evangelical Library', 78a Chiltern Street, London W1M 2HB (Tel.Ol-935
6997). The Spring 1983 edition (No.70) of 'The Evangelical Library
13.
Bulletin' contains a list of biographies of, and works by, Luther,
available for borrowing and reference.
References
1. Vol.12: 'Selections from the Psalms I'
2. H.C.Oswald
3. The Great Light, Paternoster
4. See the full exposition on pp 234-236 of Vo1.25 on 'Romans'
relating to ch.3 verse 20.
5. Pelikan
6. op cit.
7. H.C.Oswald
LUTHER'S WORKS
Concordia Publishing House and Fortress Press
A. The Commentaries
Volumes 1-8: Genesis (1535-1545); Volume 9: Deuteronomy (1523-1525)
Vols 10-11: First Jectures on the Psalms (1513-1515); Vols 12-14:
Selected Psalms (1517-1539); Vol.15: Ecclesiastes (1532). Song of
Solomon (1539), Last: Words of David (1543); Volumes 16-17: Isaiah
(1527-1530); Vols.18-20: Minor Prophets (1524-1526); Vo1.21: The
Sermon on the Mount (1530-1532) and the Magni ficat (1521); Vols.
22-24: Sermons on the Gospel of St John: Chs.1-4, 6-8, 14-16 (1530-
1532 and 1537-1540); Vol.25: Romans (1515-1516); Vol.26: Lectures
on Galatians chs 1-4 (1535); Vol.27: Lectures on Galatians chs 5-
6 (1535) and his earlier e c t u ~ Galatians chs 1-6 (1519); Vol.
28: 1 Corinthians 7 (1523); 1 Corinthians 15 (1534); Lecture;-;;;
lTimothy (1527-1528); Vol.29: Lectures on Titus (1527), Philemon
(1527), Hebrews (1517-1518); Vol.30: The Catholic Epistles: Sermons
on 1 Peter (1522), 2 Peter (1523) , Jude (1523); Lectures on 1 John
(1527) •
B. The Reformation Works: i.e. his works arranged according to themes:
14.
Vols.31-34: Career of the Reformer (i.e. his works that illustrate
his career e.g. 95 Theses; Bondage of the Will) Vols.35-38: Word
and Sacrament; Vols.39-41: Church and Ministry; Vols.42-43:
Devotional Writings; Vols.44-47: The Christian in Society; Vols.48-
50: Letters; Vols.51-52: Sermons; Vol.53: Liturgy and Hymns; Vol.54
Table Talk.
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH: WHAT IT MEANS
Rev Professor Douglas Macmillan MA (Edinburgh)
The writer is Professor
of Church History and
Church Principles in
the Free Church of
Scotland College in
Edinburgh.
Our understanding of justification by
faith is fundamental to our proclamation
and understanding of the gospel so in this
article I want to indicate what the
preaching of the doctrine of justification
is concerned to impart to others. This
doctrine then will be discussed here in
terms of its importance, its nature and its ground.
A. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
I want now to highlight the crucial importance of justification in
the gospel scheme of salvation in three ways:
1. First of all, we can establish the importance of this doctrine by
looking at its achievements in the history of the church.
We can begin the survey where the doctrine actually emerged in its
clearest formulation. This doctrine has consistently and correctly
been regarded as one of the two basic, controlling principles of
Reformation theology. The authority of Scripture was the formal
principle of that theology, describing its method and providing its
sole touch-stone of truth; and justification by faith was its material
principle, determining its substance and directing its dynamic.
It was not, of course, a new doctrine discovered for the first time
by the Reformers - Martin Luther and John Calvin. We have to recognise
that Christians right down through the ages discerned this principle,
and in fact acted on it. The fact of acceptance with God on the merits
of Christ, and by grace alone, was never really absent from the faith
of Christ's church. There are many instances in which it finds
expression down through the years, not so much, perhaps, as an articu-
lated article of the faith, but certainly as a testimony of Christian
experience. Now, that is to say just this: that no sinner can know
Christ savingly apart from justification, and justification was known
in the heart of every believer even if it was not clearly formulated
in his mind. While this fact must be remembered, yet it nevertheless
15.
remains true that it was the doctrine of justification by faith that
was most clearly to mark the cleavage between the Reformation era and
the ages that went before it. There at the Reformation it found clari-
fication, clear formulation, and very significant vocal articulation.
It was the centre of the preaching of men like Melanchthon, Luther,
Calvin, and those who under God were entrusted with the revival that
lies at the heart of the Reformation.
Now, that the Reformation itself was in essence a rediscovery of the
gospel way of salvation, and that the doctrine of justification by
faith was one of the two major catalysts in that rediscovery, is proof
for us of how closely it lies to the very heart of the· gospel. So
close to the heart of the gospel that I want to say this: where the
truths of justification are held and proclaimed, there a door of hope
is set before sinners; where these truths are neither known nor
preached, then the way of salvation has been shut up, and the lost
sinner can have no hope. It is because of this - and this is abso-
lutely fundamental to our understanding of what the gospel is - G.C.
Berkouwer of the Free University of Amsterdain is right (and I don't
always think Berkouwer is right!) when he says: "The confession of
divine justification touches man's life at its heart, at the point
of his relationship to God. It defines the preaching of the church,
the existence and progress of the life of faith, the root of human
security, and man's perspective for the future." All these things are
involved in the proclamation of justification by faith. Professor
Finlayson tells us that these truths mentioned by Berkouwer really
underlie the spiritual impulse of the Reformation and show us that
the Reformation was in fact far more radical spiritually than we tend
to think. He points out its historical importance when he says, "It
made faith," (not just the Reformation, but the doctrine of justifi-
cation) "alone the sole contact between the sinner and the Saviour.
It turned theology into religion; it proved to be the substitution
of one religion for another of a totally different kind, of a divine
religion for a human, of the supernatural grace of God for the blind
and hopeless efforts of men." This is true. The emergence and the
formulation of this doctrine lay behind the Reformation, and it was
nothing less than the substitution of one religion for another: the
religion of God's grace over against a religion that was couched in
the blind and hopeless efforts of 'men. And if there was one thing that
was not said about or by the Pope on his visit to Britain in 1982,
it was this: the doctrine of justification by faith was not mentioned.
16.
Now, one of the men I hav.e found most helpful on the doctrine of
justification by faith is Or James Buchanan, a theologian of the Free
Church of Scotland in the last century (and it's a comment on evan-
gelical understanding that his book is the last major treatise that
we have amongst evangelicals on justification by faith)o He pinpoints
the importance of the doctrine to our own position like this: "The
revival of the gospel doctrine of justification was the chief means
of effecting the reformation of religion in Europe in the sixteenth
centuryo" And we should never forget that if the Reformation had not
taken place, the history of the Western world would be very different
today from what it is. It is untrue to say that the Reformation
doesn't matter - it matters a great deal. Professor John Murray con-
firms this opinion when he says, "It may be safe to say that the
greatest event for Christendom in the last fifteen hundred years was
the Protestant Reformation." He continues, "What was the spark that
lit the flame of evangelical passion? It was, by the grace of God,
the discovery on the part of Luther stricken with a s.ense of his
estrangement from God, and feeling in his inmost soul the stings of
His wrath and the remorse of a terrified conscience, of the true and
only way whereby a man can be just with God. To him, the truth of
justification by free grace, through faith, lifted him from the depths
of the forebodings of hell to ecstasy of peace with God and the hope
of glory." ('Collected Writings' Vo1.2 p.203). "The doctrine of justi-
fication was the radical principle out of which grew the reformation
from Popery," says R.L.Oabney; "it was by adopting this doctrine that
the Reformers were led out of darkness into light." Let us never
forget this and how vitally important, historically, the doctrine of
justification by faith is.
2. Secondly let me stress the importance of justification to the
gospel scheme of salvation by referring to the spiritual effects which
this doctrine has produced in the lives of God's people. The first
and basic question in spiritual things is that of a man's relationship
to God. All other questions of a religious nature take second place
to that one. All religion not merely the Christian faith -
ul timately poses the query, "How can a man be just with God? How can
he be right with the Holy One?" And religions pose a whole series of
varied answers to that question. But when we come to the Bible the
question assumes a far more serious and aggravated aspect than merely,
"How can a man be just with God?" The question now is, "How can a sin-
ful man be just with a holy God?" The gospel, which centres on the
doctrine of justification by faith alone, supplies the only valid
17.
answer to that question. For this reason: in the final analysis sin
is always against God; and the one who is against God can never be
right with God. If we are against God then God is against us; it
cannot be otherwise. God cannot fail to take account of that which
is the contradiction of Himself. His holy perfection requires the
recoil of righteous indignation to all sin and that recoil finds its
expression in wrath. liThe wrath of GOd,1I says the apostle, lIis
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness,1I and let us as ministers
remember that in our own lives. liThe wrath of God is revealed from
heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.
1I
That is
our actual situation; that is not theory, but fact. Because this is
so, the gravity and complexity of the question is, IIHow can a sinful
man be right with a holy God?1I
Man today really fails to face up to this reality. He is living in
a cushioned vacuum of his own philosophical creation and his under-
standing of reality is untrue. To efface not only God, but in addition
the God of justice and of wrath who is angry with the wicked every
day, is to distort reality, and to hide behind that which is untrue.
This is one reason why the ground doctrine of justification by faith
alone ~ o s not raise large 'Hosannas', either in our own hearts or
in the hearts of the people to whom we preach. We fail to reckon with
two vital things: with sin, and with the wrath of God. This is the
reason why the gospel of grace will really be a mere sound in the
world and church of our own day, for man has little sense of the
reality of God and of the reality of His judgment; he has little
understanding of the majesty of God and of His holiness, while sin
is considered nothing more than man's misfortune out of which' he is
growing. If it's not his misfortune, it's merely a ,maladjustment to
his environment, and proper education will sort it out. If we face
reality in biblical terms we have to reckon with the fact that justi-
fication deals .with lost sinners. liThe justification of a sinner,1I
says W.G. T .Shedd (and I would commend him to your reading), lIis
different from that of a righteous person. The former is unmerited,
the matter is merited. The former is without good works, the latter
is because of good works. The former is pardon of sin, and accepting
one as righteous when he ia not sOl the latter is pronouncing one
righteous because he is so. The former is complex, the latter is
simple.
1I
That i.5 how he makes the distinction between the justifica-
tion of a sinner and the justification of one who is not a sinner.
IIHoly angels," for example, he says, lIare justified before the bar
of God on the ground of their own righteousness; they have not
18.
sinned."
Now we can go on to this: the plain fact stands before us that sin
has involved man in guilt while guilt, in turn, involves divine con-
delllnation. To state the matter in this way points out for us the
necessity of a complete reversal in our legal standing before God.
That is where justification begins; it is where it must begin. Because
of sin, and the condemnation that sin's guilt involves, man's standing
with God is wrong. The real question that justification confronts is,
"How can that standing be put right?" Our salvation must involve not
merely a change in our inward attitude to God, but before that a
change in God's judicial relationship to us. How can that standing
and that judicial relationship ever be changed? Justifi,cation is the
answer; 'and justification is the act of God's free grace. Paul says,
in Romans 8:33, "It is God that ju'stifies, who is he that condemns?"
So vital and fundamental, then, is justification, that its importance
to sal vati on cannot be hi ghli ghted too s trongl y. Wh erever men have
come to a ~ understanding of the doctrine of justification by faith
in Christ alone, they have come to a wonderful; spiritual emancipa-
tion. Wherever it is lost or obscured, men enter in various degrees
into spiritual bondage. The spiritual achievements of justification
by faith tell us that it lies at the very heart of the gospel.
3. Thirdly, we'll now turn from the historical achievements of the
doctrine and its spiritual effects to its theological implications.
It is vitally important here to recognise the relationship that justi-
fication bears to all other doctrines involved in an evangelical and
bihlical scheme of theology. The biblical doctrine bears, for example,
not merely on the application of redemption to sinners, but it bears
even more strongly on the nature of the redemption which is to be
applied to sinners. In other words, it ties in not merely wi th the
application of redemption but with the accomplishment of redemption.
Or, to put it differently, it ties in with what kind of salvation a
sinner can find when he finds salvation in Christ.
Now, we know that the justification of a sinner is inextricably bound
uP, with his regeneration, with his union to Christ, with his faith •.
his' repentance and his conversion. That ~ s it stands in intimate
relation to all the doctrines involved in the application of redup-
tion; But that is not all. We must remember that it also stands inti-
mately related to the person and work of Christ, and especially to
the atonement. Was Christ's death a work that lay the basis upon w h i ~ h
19.
sinners could be accounted righteous before a holy God? Did He bear
the ,guilt of sin? Did He safeguard the divine rectitude in the pardon
and remission of sin? All these, and many other vital questions of
theology, will not only affect, but they will in turn be affected by,
our understanding of the doctrine of justification. Now this is very
clearly spelled out for us by a theologian whom I admire very much,
namely, R.L.Dabney. He writes: "When we consider how many of the
fundamental points of theology are connected wi th justification, we
can hardly assign it too important a place. Our view of this doctrine
must determine or be determined by our view of Christ's satisfaction.
And this again carries along with it the whole doctrine concerning
the natures and person of Christ. And if the proper deity of Him be
denied, that of the Holy Ghost will very certainly follow along with
it, so that the very doctrine of the Trinity itself is destroyed by
extreme views concerning justification. Again, 'It is God that justi-
fies'; how evident then that our views of justification will involve
those of God's law and of His own moral attributes. The doctrine of
original sin is also brought in question when we assert the impossi-
bility of a man so keeping the law of God as to justify himself." I'm
quoting Dabney to show the range of doctrines that will be affected
by what we believe concerning the doctrine of justification by faith.
Perhaps you never knew it was as important as that - but it is. Arian-
ism, Socinianism, and Unitarianism can all be traced back in their
origins to a departure from the simple doctrine of justification by
. f a i t h in Ch r i s t a Ion e. Ju s ti fi c a ti 0 n by fa i t h, the m 0 r e yo u s t u d y it,
becomes a key in the whole archway of evangelical doctrine. So vi tal
is it that where it is lost or obscured, perverted or misunderstood,
the entire provision of God's redemptive accomplishment for the salva-
tion of sinners is, in the same measure, lost or obscured or perverted
or misunderstood. The importance of justification was not being mis-
represented in the least when Luther declared it to be the article
of a standing or a fallen church. You can determine the health or
otherwise of the doctrine of any church when you know its doctrine
of justification by faith.
B. THE NATURE OF THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
Now I want to go on, in the second place, to look with you at the
nature of justification by faith. I am assuming that you are already
well acquainted with this doctrine, so all I want to do is to clarify
briefly the nature of justification by faith. How do you define it?
I have looked at many books on this doctrine, and the best definition
20.
I have found is in the Westminster Shorter Catechism: "Justification
is an act of God's free grace wherein he pardons all our sins and
accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of
Christ imputed to us, and by faith alone." Could you better that?
1. Now let's look quickly at this definition. First of all, justifica-
tion is an act of God. That might not seem very important - but it
is. It is an act of God, and not.a work of God; and the act is of a
legal, judicial or forensic nature, and the terminology of Scripture
about justification" can only be understood in a forensic sense.
Because it is a for'ensic act it has to do with our legal standing
before God. It is no't a work within the person being justified, but
it is a declaration" about the person being justified. Regeneration,
to take one example of what God does in the application of redemption,
is a work of God in us; but justification is purely and solely a judg-
ment of God concerning us. The difference is crucial to a correct
understanding of what justification is.
The distinction is similar to the difference between the action of
a surgeon and the act of a judge. The one, when he removes some dis-
eased part of the body, does something in us; the other doesn't do
that, but he gives a verdict concerning our legal status, our rela-
tionship to law and our standing in the eyes of law. The declaration
is either concerning our innocence or concerning our guilt - either
of these two things and nothing else. Now, that declaration has
nothing to do with making us inwardly good or inwardly bad. It is not
a work that can make us either holy or evil; it is a declaration not
about our inward condition, but about our actual legal standing.
Justification, therefore, means that the sinner is declared as being
free from guilt ,and, in the sight of God, as sustaining a relation
which meets all the requirements of His holy law and His inflexible
justice. This difference is critical because many make the mistake
of confusing justification with sanctification, and this is done in
a variety of ways and by a broad spectrum of religious opinion,
ranging from the Romanist with its doctrine of infused grace on the
one hand, to the Perfectionists wi th their doctrine of complete holi-
ness, on the other. There is always a confusion of two things which
differ: justification and sanctification.
Now, in essence, this type of teaching which confuses these things
simply puts the work of the Holy Spirit into the place which should
21:
be occupied by the work of Christ alone. This kind of teaching looks
to the work of the Holy Spirit within the sinner as the basis of
justification, rather than to Christ
l
s work for the sinner as that
basis. James Buchanan writes: IIThere is perhaps, no more subtle or
plausible error on the subject of justification than that which makes
it rest on the indwelling presence and the gracious work of the Holy
Spirit in the heart.
1I
It1s worth noting how damaging this kind of thought can be to biblical
teaching, and how destructive of spiritual peace in personal experi-
ence. For if we are justified solely on account of what Christ did
and suffered for us, we can rest upon a completely finished work, a
righteousness already accepted by God. But if we are justified in the
least measure at all by a work of the Holy Spirit within us, we are
called to rest on a work that is still taking place, which is subject
to resistance from our own depraved hearts, and which, in the case
of the unrenewed sinner, is not even begun until that sinner is safely
past the point of regeneration. Any such scheme of justification
strongly detracts not merely from the freeness of grace, but from the
fulness of the atoning work of Christ. We must be careful, therefore,
to distinguish between justification and sanctification; they are
closely related, but distinctive.
It is in fact just at this very point that many evangelicals today
lamentably fail to preach a full, clear, biblical message. They do
this in a variety of ways and often, I like to believe, without
realising it. They put forward faith or repentance, or prayer or even
'coming to Christ
l
as the basis for becoming right wi th God. Do you
do that when you preach? I have to ask myself, do I? In fact, none
of these things is the basis on which a sinner can come to God or
become right with God. All of these things are only involved in us
being made right with God; but it is true that any doctrine that over-
stresses the activity of the sinner, or even the work of God within
the sinner, as the basis for justification, has failed to grapple with
the very nature of the justification it is seeking to proclaim. Justi-
fication is no more a work of God than it is the work of us men. They
have never understood it as being not a work but an act of God in
which He makes a declaration about the sinner1s standi-;g before the
1 aw.
2. The second thing to note from this definition is this: that the
act is one of God1s free grace. It couldn't be anything else. This
22.
is what marks the gospel method of justification as being absolutely
unique. Justification has to deal with a sinner under condemnation.
That is the only sentence which can really belong to him before
justice and law; and condemnation is, of course, the exact opposite
of justification. The nub of the matter is that because He is dealing
wi th sinners God is required, as the apostle says, "to justify the
ungodly." The amazing thing about the gospel is that God can remain
God and do that. He can be just and the justifier of the ungodly. This
is precisely the truth which the gospel method of justification is
concerned to proclaim. God's declaration proceeds upon His legal
regard to what His free grace has already done, and what it has
already achieved for the sinner in the finished work of Christ. God
acts upon the basis of a provision which He has himself provided, and
which adequately meets all the exigencies of the matter in hand; a
provision which is there because of His gracious love, and for no
other reason at all. It is there because, in the words of the apostle,
"God spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us alL" It is
there because "God so loved the world ••• " What a gospel! It's rooted
in the free grace of God. It's an act of God's frea grace.
3. And the third point is this: "In that act," the Catechism says,
"He· pardons all our sins." This is a vital and important but not the
only, part of justification. The pardon of sin consists in the removal
of sin's guilt; and that involves the absolving of the sinner from
the obligation to punishment which was his just due because of his
breach of God's holy law. He is absolved from it. This element of
justification regards particularly, though not exclusively, the
passive obedience of Christ, i.e., His suffering and death on the
cross in the place of His people. The pardon granted here applies to
sin because of the cross. Now listen: it applies to all sins: "Wherein
he pardons all our sins." Sins in our ignorance, s i ~ i n our enlight-
enment, sins past and sins present, and sins future; "wherein he
pardons all our sins." It involves the removal of all the guilt of
God's p e ~ e and it brings them out from under every penalty. Any
chastisement that the believer knows in relation to his sin is not,
and never is, the chatisement of a judge. It is the chastisement of
his Father God upon the child whom He has adopted into His family.
Note in passing that Scripture always brings the pardon of sin into
the most intimate relation to its punishment in the person of Christ.
In the gospel the death of the cross brought .about the situation where
mercy and justice rejoiced together; where both were conspicuously
displayed - "When we were enemies," says the apostle Paul (not, "When
23.
we were friends"), "we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.
And he goes on to say, "If we were enemies when we were reconciled
by his death, much more we shall be saved by his life." In other
words, if God grounds our justification as enemies and sinners in His
death, He'll carry our sanctification on upon the basis of His life.
Now, although pardon is an important element in justification, it's
not the only element. "It is a mistake," writes Dabney, "not only of
Romanists but of nearly every school of Arminian thought to teach
varying shades of the idea that justification is merely exemption from
penalty."
4. There is something even more wonderful than pardon, for He also
accepts us as righteous in His sight. It is positive as well as nega-
tive. Now. this is a vital element in justification: acceptance with
God in Christ. We are accepted "in the Beloved". Justification must
not only deliver from the penalty incurred by guilt and disobedience,
it must also provide a sinner with an equivalent of personal
obedience. Whereas a holy being owes only obedience to God's perfect
law, a sinful creature owes both penalty and obedience. When the
sinner is justified, his justification must provide not merely for
his deliverance from hell, but for his entry into heaven and justifi-
cation comprises not only pardon but entitlement to heaven. Heaven
is only for the righteous, and it is ours because God pardons our sin
and also accepts us as righteous in His sight. Because of His divine
substi tute who suffered "unto death" for the sinner, the believer
obtains not only release from punishment that his sin entails but he
also obtains a reward which he does not merit because his substitute
obeyed for him. It is not only the passive obedience of Christ in His
death which is important but also the active obedience of Christ in
His whole life, where He wrought out a righteousness for His people.
He obeyed God not only for himself but also for us. I'm not happy with
the division between the active and passive obedience of Christ for
it has its weaknesses, yet it helps, too, in clarifying the true
aspects of Christ's work for us.
C. THE GROUND OF THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
On what basis does God do all this in His act of justification? Well,
the Catechism goes· on to say: "Only for the righteousness of Christ
imputed to us." Why does God accept? How can He do it? Because of the
righteousness of Christ imputed to us. Now, we shouldn't be afraid
24.
to use the word 'imputation'. Listening to preachers when I'm on holi-
day from the North of Scotland to the South of England, I seldom hear
this word used in a pulpit, nor do I even hear the truth of it being
preached. When did you last preach on imputation and counter-imputa-
tion to your people? Would they know what you were talking about? If
not, they're not well taught.
To impute sin, or indeed to impute righteousness, in its scriptural
usage is a perfectly straightforward, unambiguous concept. Charles
Hodge writes, "There is no necessity to go into a prolonged study of
the Hebrew or Greek original to understand what imputation means. It
means simply," he says, "'to. set to one's account, to lay to one's
charge or to one's credit; to credit as the ground of judicial
process.'" In many scriptures like Isaiah 53, Galatians 3, Hebrews
9, 1 Peter 2, our sins are said to have been "laid on" Christ because
the guilt was so charged to His account that they became His, and
could be justly punished in Him. "He bore our sins," says Peter, "in
his own body on the tree." Now in a similar way Paul teaches us that
Christ's perfect righteousness is laid to our account (2 Corinthians
5: 21): "God has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him.1I There is imputation,
and there is counter-imputation. Let me put it like this: imputation
and counter-imputation, when they are clearly understood, just mean
this, that as Christ stood over into the shoes of the believer in
relation to sin, so the believer stands over in the very place of
Christ in relation to righteousness. Let's remember, too, as Dabney
points out, that lIimputation is not a transfer of moral character but
of legal relation.
1I
The imputation of our sin to Christ never made
Him a sinner. Not at all. Do you see any theological distinction in
my saying that Christ was made sin, and Christ became a sinner? I
wouldn't let you into a pulpit to preach if you could not see this
distinction! Imputation is no transference of moral character. Christ
was still the eternal God when your sins and mine were imputed to Him,
and He was still the holy, sinless and perfect God. But it was a
transference of legal relationship; as the sinless and obedient one,
He was standing in the room of sinners. It is because of His sinless-
ness that He can be made sin in the sense that He was regarded as the
sinner in the eyes of God imposing penalty and punishment.
It is important to realise that this means that Christ, in His person
and work, is the real basis and ground of our justification. We tend
to think, perhaps, that something we ourselves can do will really help
25.
to make God much more considerate of us, it will help Him to pardon
and forgive us, or help us to become Christians. That is to go away
from free grace to man's work and endeavour. God cannot justify on
the sinful endeavour of a sinful creature. God can justify only on
the basis of the ground which He himself, in His mighty grace, has
laid: the finished work of Christ.
There is the other danger that we look to faith as the ground of
justification. Now, faith is not the ground upon which God justifies.
It is true that He will not justify until faith is there; it is the
sinner who believes that God justifies. God is just and He justifies
the ungodly, but only the ungodly who believe in Jesus; yet it is not
because of, or on tbe ground of, his believing that God justifies.
Professor John Murray declares: "While no one is justified apart from
faith, faith is not the ground upon which God justifies ••• He justi-
fies by, through, or in, faith. But He never uses the expression that
God justifies on account of faith." That is worth noting. Sometimes
I think that what became the war-cry of the Reformation has led to
a misapprehension and a misunderstanding about the. ground on which
God justifies. "Justified by faith alone," is true yet it carries an
inherent danger in it, because it makes people think of the faith of
the believer as the ground of justification rather than the finished
work of Christ. That shows how theological slogans or popular slogans
can often, although correct in themselves, be theologically mis-
leading; and it's one which we should be careful of. We are justified
by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
Now, on the other hand, we must not minimize the role of faith in
justification and salvation. Justification does not occur irrespective
of any acti vi t y on our part. The Bi bl e makes it cl ear that whi 1 e God
justifies the ungodly, it is always the ungodly ..,ho believe that He
justifies. John Murray writes: "Justification is on the event of
faith, and not faith on the event of justification."
Finally, remember that justification is not an end in itself. Men are
justified in order that they may be sanctified. That's the biblical
order: they are not sanctified in order that they may be justified.
Remember this when you feel plagued with your inward corruption and
sin. But remember, too, that redemption is not fully achieved with
justification. In justification, however, the foundation has been laid
upon which the whole edifice of redemption will yet stand complete.
"For," says the apostle, "whom he justified, them he also glorified."
26.
That's how closely justification and heaven are linked together.
While, therefore, we are justified by faith, that faith includes all
that will carry us home to the place which Christ is preparing for
us.
Once we understand the fulness, freeness and utter graciousness of
God's act in justifying sinners on the ground of Christ's perfect,
finished work, and have ourselves been touched by the amazing love
that's couched at the very heart of this doctrine, then I believe the
foundation has been laid for the powerful, passionate, preaching of
a doctrine that nestles at the very heart of the gospel of God's
saving grace. This is not cold doctrine but something that should set
our hearts afire and make us persuade men by all means to rest on no
other foundation.
THE BIBLICAL LANGUAGES:
THEIR USE AND ABUSE IN THE MINISTRY: Part Two
Rev Philip H.Eveson MA MTh (London)
In the previous issue we sought ,to
break through some of the barriers
erected in the minds of students and
pastors against the acquisition and
use of the biblical languages. At
the same time, it was emphasised that
M rEv l!!S:o n) i so; MiiliiSte r .of
KensiL £va-ngelioaJ _ tbltrch,
Finchley and Resident- Tutor
in the London Theological
Seminary.
the prime need in the understanding and ministry of God's Word was
for the Holy Spirit's illumination and power. Languages do not make
a preacher but they are very useful aids in the minister's own
personal study and preparation for preaching.
We now put forward the following arguments from the Bible, Church
history, the lives of preachers of the past, as well as practical con-
siderations to stimulate and motivate preachers to take up and use
the Greek and/or Hebrew Bible.
THEJU"pGICAL ARGUMENT
The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments we believe to be
27.
the infallible, inerrant and authoritative Word of God. It is God's
revealed Word written for our eternal salvation and profit (2 Tim.3:
15-17). This is where we must begin in our thinking. The very nature
and content of the Book should impress upon us the need to give care-
ful attention to every word that is written. We live not by bread
alone "but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord"
(Deut.8: 3). Of all people the evangelical, protestant pastor, who
holds such a high view of Scripture and seeks to expound it faithfully
should see the need and advantage of acquiring some ability, however
small, in the handling of the sacred text in the original tongues.
Paul tells us to "prove all things; hold fast that which is good"
(1 Thess.5:21). It is inevitable that traditions will arise in the
life of the church. But no tradition, however good, must be accepted
merely because we revere it as a tradition of the fathers. The church
was brought into bondage through such thinking. It was the concen-
trated, earnest study of God's Word, taking nothing for granted, not
even a translation, which liberated the Chur.ch from the shackles of
unbiblical traditions. God's Word is truth and leads us to Him who
is the Truth and- to real freedom. The Bereans searched the Scriptures
daily to see whether the apostle's words were true. The pastor like-
wise has a duty to prove all things and to search the Scriptures, and
some knowledge of the original languages can be of immense value in
this direction.
Pastors are ministers of God's Word. If every believer is to delight
in this Word and to treasure it above the riches of this world how
much more those set apart to give themselves to prayer and the
ministry of the Word. They should spare no effort in becoming conver-
sant with the whole Bible and this will inevitably draw them into
portions of God's Word where some knowledge of Greek and Hebrew would
be very helpful.
The apostle Paul exhorts Timothy and every godly minister, "Study to
show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim.2:15). Slovenly,
slipshod handling of the text of Scripture is a disgrace to the
ministry and a dishonour to God. God demands that every Christian give
of his best, whatever he puts his hand to do. The nature of the
pastor's calling and the character of the Book he is handling should
be added incentive to persevere in giving of his very best. As part
of that concern to be an able minister of the Gospel he will seek to
28.
gain at least a knowledge of the rudiments of the biblical languages.
I repeat, such learning is not essential or even of first importance
to a godly ministry, but a godly minister will do all in his powers,
God helping him, to be a faithful servant of the Word, and use such
means as are available to clearly and accurately expound the text of
Scripture.
HISTORICAL ARGUMENT
The importance of studying the original texts of Scripture is nowhere
more clearly in evidence than at the time of the Reformation. Here
are some of the lessons we can learn from the period in connection
with our subject:
1. When the use of the Greek and Hebrew texts are set aside pastors
and people are at the mercy of any and every commentator or trans-
lator. This was the position in the Church during the Middle Ages.
In the Eastern Church the Old Testament as well as the New was read
in the Greek, while in the West the only acceptable version was the
Latin Bible read for the most part in very inferior and corrupt
editions. Gospel Light was dim and ignorance bred superstition and
idolatry. Evangelical words took on completely different meanings.
For instance, the Greek word for 'repentance' was read as 'penance',
'righteousness' as 'conversion' and 'faith' ·was considered to be a
work. There was little or no means of checking the theology of the
medieval school men • Let us be on our guard. It is not impossible for
such a thing to happen again. Dabney reminds us, "The ingenuity of
error is abounding".
1
2. The Roman Church at the time of the Reformation is a warning
against taking an obscurantist position. Only sin and error want to
shy away from an enquiring mind. "Back to the sources" became the
slogan of the Renaissance scholars and it was the study of the Early
Church Fathers and the examination of MSS of the Bible in the original
languages which had such a devastating effect on the late medieval
church. This, coupled with the invention of the printing press and
the establishing of new universities and colleges all over Europe
majoring in the study of Greek, Latin and Hebrew, provided the way
for the evangelical revival of the 16th century. No wonder the Roman
establishment generally disliked the men ~ the new learning!
Hebrew studies were frowned on by the ecclesiastical authorities and
29.
Jews caught teaching Hebrew to Christians were dealt with accordingly.
Nevertheless, interest in Hebrew grew and Reuchlin the first Christian
Hebrew scholar of the period published his rudiments of the Hebrew
language in 1506. Other Hebrew aids increased including in 1527 the
first Aramaic grammar by a Christian. From the end of the 15th century
onward Greek grammars were being published in great numbers. In the
preface to one published in 1495 we read, "There is a multitude of
those who yearn to be well-instructed in Greek". Erasmus used such
knowledge to publish his Greek New Testament in 1516. Speaking of
Zwingli, Potter writes, "What was wonderful to him and his generation
was that they had before thetr eyes the original Greek and Hebrew
texts. The very words directly inspired by the Holy Spirit were there
for them to read and the printing-press made possible an exactness
unknown previously". Z We should not despise or ignore such learning
but count ita privilege that we have the original texts so freely
available, and grammars and lexicons that are much more accurate and
detailed. "For unto whosoever much is given, of him shall be much
required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask
the more" (Luke 12:48).
3. It was through their study of the Greek and Hebrew texts of the
Bible that the Reformers were helped in their understanding of the
truth. Zwingli mastered Greek and Hebrew in order to study the Bible
in the original and from that Bible he began preaching Sunday by Sun-
day. The Zurich congregation heard not the legends of the saints, or
anecdotal sermons but the plain text of Scripture expounded and
applied, and with no appeal to pope or tradition. In this way, he and
many of· his parishioners were led to embrace the Christ of _ the
Scriptures.
Luther poured over his Hebrew and Greek Bible and discovered anew the
doctrine of justification by faith alone and gave to the German people
a Bible in their own language based on the original texts. Tyndale
and others did the same in England. Both Luther and Calvin broke away
from the medieval methods of interpreting Scripture and concentrated
on weighing every word in its context to bring out the plain meaning
of the text. In their pulpits, their faithful hard labour in the study
was put to good use as they instructed and exhorted the people.
4. As a necessary corrective we should also point out that the study
of the languages and text of the Bible does not in itself guarantee
that a person will come to Gospel light. Reuchlin, the Hebrew scholar,
30.
remained faithful to Rome although disliked by the authorities •. He
tried unsuccessfully to dissuade his grandnephew Philip Melanchthon,
professor of Greek at Wittenburg, from joining Luther and the Pro-.
testants. Erasmus, the most celebrated Greek scholar of his lifetime
did not come to a clear understanding of the Gospel even though he
wrote satirically against many of the doctrines and institutions of
the Roman Church, and popes even prohibited the reading of his
It is the Spirit of God who alone can illumine the mind and give that
spiritual understanding (1 Cor.2 :9-14). What the Reformation period
shows is the importance of the Spirit and the Word acting together.
BIOGRAPHICAL ARGUMENT
It is always inspiring to turn to some of the great preachers and
missionaries of the past and learn from their full and disciplined
lives. Those who have no intention of acquiring and using the biblical
languages sometimes try hiding behind such an impressive figure as
Augustine (354-430 AD) , bishop of Hippo in North Africa, who was
ignorant of Hebrew and hated Greek at school. He also emphasised
during his ministry the supreme importance of using Scripture to bring
us to God and to enjoy God rather than to acquire knowledge merely
for its own sake. The other side of the story is this, that he tried
to make up for his mispent youth. When he became a bishop, with
demands made upon his time, he studied hard at his Greek, consulted
authorities over Old Testament problems and encouraged those training
to expound the Scriptures to gain a knowledge of .both Hebrew and
Greek.
We have all been amazed at the determination of John Brown of Hadding-
ton (1722-1787) who bec ame a great preac her and bi bl i cal se hol ar. As
a poor orphan boy, minding sheep on the Scottish hills , he mastered
Latin, went. on to learn Greek the hard way wi thout a grammar and
later, in College, studied Hebrew in preparation for the ministry.
His story ought to make us blush at our own slackness and mismanage-
ment of time.
The godly Murray M'Cheyne accomplished more in the twenty-nine years
of his life than many find time for, given their three score years
and ten. Andrew Bonar his biographer writes, "He could consult the
Hebrew original of the Old Testament with as much ease as most of our
ministers are able to consult the Greek of the New Testament".! When
they were students training for the ministry, M'Cheyne, Bonar and
31.
others used to meet once a week during the Summer vacation to
encourage and test one another in their reading, and in their know-
ledge of the biblical languages.
John Elias (1774-1841) one of the most powerful preachers of his
generation had no College training. He was a born preacher and exer-
cised a mighty ministry in North Wales even before he had any school-
ing whatsoever. It would have been easy for him to have rested in his
remarkable preaching gifts and not to have bothered with any formal
ed uc ation. I nde ed, there we re those who suggested that to have any
schooling would make him p u f f ~ up and useless. But it weighed heavily
on Elias that the churches should be the losers on account of his dis-
advantages as a boy. So it was when he was about twenty-one years old
he was granted permission to learn English! From such beginnings he
went on to grapple with the biblical languages so that wi th the help
of lexicons he was able to read the Hebrew and Greek texts of Scrip-
t u r ~ Towards the end cif his life he wrote concerning his time at
sch,o.oLlll was given help to work diligently day and night until I
··acquir.ed in some degree a general krrowledge of the things that were
mosfnecessary for me. But I am still learning, even in my sixty-
seventh year and see a greater need of knowledge."" His biographer
adds, "He was blessed above all with that knowledge which flesh and
blood cannot attain to, spiritual knowledge ••• it kept him humble
and prevented him from being puffed up." 5
The Puritans were well versed in the original Scriptures. One of them,
Philip Henry, was very keen to impress on ministerial students the
importance of studying the Scriptures in the Bible languages. He even
taught his eldest daughter Hebrew when she was only about seven years
old! His famous son, Matthew, put to good use such early and deep
training in the Scriptures with a commentary which has been a source
of great blessing to ministers ever since, including Whitefield and
Spurgeon.
The members of the Holy Club at Oxford studied the Scriptures in the
original tongues. John Wesley was, in fact, a lecturer in Greek. We
are told that George Whi tefield was reading his Greek New Testament
at sixteen. The notes he made in his Greek Testament show his deep
knowledge of the language and provided much help in his sermon prepar-
ation. He also turned his reading of the Greek text into prayer.
Spurgeon did not have any university or College training but unlike
32.
Elias he did have good schooling as a boy, learning among other things
a little Greek. Because he had a thirst for knowledge and as an aid
to the work of the ministry he taught himself many things. From his
sermons and commentaries it is clear that he had some ability in
Hebrew as well as Greek.
We could spend time reviewing the lives of many who left these shores
to preach the Gospel overseas in pioneering situations and who
laboured much in the biblical languages. Space- will only allow us to
mention William Carey the founder of the modern missionary movement.
As a young preacher and cobbler in Northamptonshire he taught himself
Greek and Hebrew with the help of neighbouring ministers and made it
his regular practice to read his daily portion of Scripture in the
original tongues. This helped him greatly in his preaching and later
in his missionary endeavours in India. He corresponded regularly with
Or Ryland of Bristol concerning Hebrew and Greek words as he sought
to convey divine truth accurately in Bengali, Hindi, Marathi and
Sanskrit.
PRAC TI CAL ARGUME NT
Here we mention just a few exampbs, .of; practlcal benefits., of
gaining,a knowledge <'If:the.biblical.languages.
1. A little knowledge goes a long way. Broadus used to say that a
little is a big per cent on nothing.
6
With the many good aids that
there are available these days there is every encouragement to perse-
-v ere •
2. Study becomes much more rewarding. When and Hebrew words are
discussed in the commentaries we have a far better idea what the prob-
lems are. We can look into the matter ourselves with far more under-
standing.
3. It helps prevent staleness and becoming a slave to the comments
of others. While we shall never be better in our grasp of languages
than the experts yet the reading of the text in the original can
stimulate the mind and bring us to see God's Word in a new light. A.T.
Robertson remarks that we need to know much of the English Bible by
heart "so that it will come readily to hand for comfort and for
service. But the minute study called for by the Greek opens up un-
expected treasures that surprise and delight the soul". 7
33.
4. It is helpful in evaluating Bible translations and textual cri ti-
cism problems. Without some understanding of the issues involved,
which necessarily includes some knowledge of Hebrew and Greek, the
faithful pastor is at a great disadvantage in helping his bewildered
flock. Escape into obscurantism is a poor way out as we have seen.
5. It saves money. Instead of obtaining a plethora of word books, all
you need is a good concordance, lexicon and grammar alongside the many
helpful commentaries that you can either borrow or purchase.
6. A by-product of learning t ~ biblical languages will be a better
grasp of your own language. It will improve your vocabulary, grammar
and style.
The Tools to help us
Text.s: An interlinear Bible is helpful because at a glance you can
see how the Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic text is translated into English.
There is an O. T. interlinear in three volumes publishe'd., by Baker which
may prove too expensive, but there are various Greek interlinears
moderately priced.
If you are looking for a Hebrew Bible then there is (a) N.Snaith's
Bible Society edition which contains no notes, or (b) 'Biblica
Hebraica Stuttgartensia' - this is dearer but has marginal notes on
variant readings.
As for the Greek New Testament again there is (a) Trini tarian Bible
Society 'Received Text' edition without notes, or (b) B.Metzger's
British & Foreign Bible Society edition, which is an eclectic text
with marginal notes on variant readings.
Grammars: J.W.Wenham's 'Elements of NT Greek' is still the best
student introduction. Other useful reference works are: C.F.D.Moule's
'An Idiom Book of NT Greek'; Moul ton-Howard- Turner 'A Grammar of NT
Greek' in 3 vols or Blass-Debrunner-Funk 'A Greek Grammar of the NT'.
J.Sawyer's 'A Modern Introduction to Biblical Hebrew' is an excellent
way to begin. For those who wish to brush up their Hebrew the 'Journal
of Pastoral Practice' edited by J.Adams started an introduction to
'Hebrew Helps for Busy Pastors' in Vo1.3 No.l, 1979. For reference
purposes the standard work on Hebrew grammar is Gesenius' 'Hebrew
Grammar' 2nd English Ed. by A.E.Cowley.
34.
Lexicons: Baxter's Analytical Lexicons have been of inestimable value
to generations of students. The best Greek Lexicon is 'A Greek-
English Lexicon of the New Testament' by Bauer, translated by Arndt
and Gingrich. As for Hebrew and Aramaic, a new standard Lexicon is
still awaited but 'Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament'
by Brown, Driver and Briggs is fairly acceptable.
Concordances: All that you will need is found in 'Young's Analytical
Concordance' which is based, of course, on the AV text. If you have
Strong's concordance then you do not need Young.
Concerning thMi!; tools R.C.Sproul remarks, "Scholars·: maybe able to
make more sophisticated used of them but they are also beneficial for
the layman. One need not be a professional carpenter to learn how to
8
make good use of a hammer."
Abuses
Before we go speeding merrily along language lane a touch on the
brakes is needed at this point. The following items we do well to
remember:
1. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. In the wrong hands it can
lead astray with most painful consequences. Or Lloyd-Jones draws our
attention to this matter. when discussing the word 'led' in Rom.B:14.
"there is the kind of man who is always ready to say dogmatically that
any particular problem can be solved with ease by a knowledge of the
Greek original. Nowhere is the adage about a little learning being
dangerous more important than at this point ••• Let us be sure, if
we are looking at this word in the original, that we use an authori-
tative lexicon, and that we consider all the possible meanings."9
2. Do not display your learning in the pulpit. To bog down a sermon
wi th Hebrew and Greek words is not helpful. It may impress some, it
will confuse many more. Some of the best preachers and teachers have
laboured long and hard in the study and have refused to allow their
sermons to draw attention to their scholarship. Just as scaffolding
is to a building so are the biblical languages to a sermon, very help-
ful in the building process but obtrusive and unsightly in the
finished work.
3. Do not think that a knowledge of Greek and Hebrew will settle every
35.
theological and hermeneutical problem. No doctrine of the Faith is
based exclusively on the meaning of Greek and Hebrew words. If we are
trying to argue in favour of some subtle point simply on the basis
of linguistics, then it may be proper to think again and perhaps
abandon the idea.
4. A lot of needless argument results from an over emphasis on the
etymology of words. You often hear the phrases 'the root meaning' or
'originally the word meant' and sermons and arguments are built up
very successfully on this very unsound foundation. The usage of a word
by the author is far more than its origin. Words change
their meaning over the years or take on a new significance by a
particular writer. On this subject James Barr's book 'The Semantics
of Biblical Language' is an important work.
5. I may be biased in my thinki ng, reading into a text what is not
there and using the Greek or Hebrew to prove my point. As a necessary
corrective always refer to a good exegetical commentary which will
provide a check on personal judgments that may be quite wrong.
In conclusion, we return to the words of John Newton, this time
writing to Thomas Charles (Bala) and his friend during their student
days at Oxford: "Time was when I thought a minister a sort of
superior being, and hardly could be persuaded they had the infirmities
wi th other men. Perhaps you may have thought so likewise. But by and
by when you shall be admitted behind the scenes, you will find that
the office, though it calls us to difficult services, and exposes us
to dangerous snares, yet wi 11 not of itself afford us one additional
grain of grace or strength. If when we commence teachers, we do not
continue learners, if we do not watch unto prayer, if we think because
we have been ordained, and can read Latin and Greek, we have a right
to go forth as if we were wise or good, experience will soon teach
us, or observation will soon convince others, that we are but empty
and broken cisterns - and can do nothing right". 10
References
1. Discussions: Evangelical and Theological, Vol.2, p666
2. G.R.Potter, Zwingli, p64
'-.
3. A.A.Bonar, Memoir and Remains of the Rev Robert Murray M'Cheyne,p28
4. John Elias: Life, Letters and Essays by Edward Morgan, revised 1973
p.37
5. op. cit. p21
36.
6. Quoted in !The Minister and his Greek New Testament' by A. T.
Robertson, p15.
7. op.ci t. p21.
8. R.C.Sproul 'Knowing God's Word'.
9. D.M.Lloyd-Jones, Romans 8:5-17 'The Sons of God' p172f.
10. Quoted in !The Rev Thomas Charles of Bala' Vol.I by D.E.Jenkins,
p55f.
R V ~ W S IN CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGY
The Editor
"Here is John Robinson at his brilliant and provocative best, as he
looks back, primarily over the 1970s, but at the same time over the
wider formative influences which have led to his own distinctive
approach to theology and to wider social issues", so reads the pub-
lisher's blurb to the book, THE ROOTS OF A RADICAL (SCM Press, 1980,
pp168, £3.50). Despite the author's unorthodox theology, this is a
most readable and informative book.
Robinson's first firing shot needs to be heeded by all ministers!
While working hard as a bishop in the seventies, he claims to have
read and written more during those ten years than at any other stage
of his career, "which to me is some answer to the excuse that busy
bishops or ministers are far too preoccupied to read, let alone to
write" (p.vii)!
His o.pening chapter is entitled, 'A tale of two decades' and in a
lively and, at times, an amusing manner, he surveys the sixties and
seventies. He describes the sixties as "a time for being out on the
edges" (p2) beginning with President Kennedy, race marches, student
demonstrations, the curtailing of the Lord Chamberlain's powers of
censorship and the development of the 'permissive society'. It was
also the period of radical Christianity expressed in phrases such as
'Religionless Christianity', 'Honest to God', 'Death of God', the 'New
Morality', 'Situation Ethics' and the 'New Reformation', etc. By con-
trast, Robinson describes the seventies as a 'Return to the Centre',
epitomised "by the withdrawal from Vietnam, the energy crisis and con-
servation ••• a time for turning east and turning in, for the search
of self and the exploration.of inner .space, for the recovery of mysti-
cism and meditation, integration and wholeness" (p3) as well as a
37.
retreat to a new conservatism and quest for security. "The student
world", he says, "is a much quieter and duller place" and the reli-
gious world was made more aware of "the new fundamental isms , the
strength of the conservative churches, the charismatic revival, the
fascination with exorcism and the occult and the widely publicised
attacks on the poli ticization of the World Council of Churches.
Ecumenically we appear to have become more rather than less turned
in upon ourselves Divisions too seem to be hardening between
parties in the church. The going (or at any rate the shouting) is at
the moment being made by those who would resist further erosion to
faith or order, liturgy or moral)s, and in the Roman Catholic Church
theologians are again having their wings clipped" (p4).
What about Robinson himself? He thinks of himself as a radical, that
is, someone with "deep roots, with the freedom and courage ••• to go
to source and speak from the centre ••• Over the years I find I have
been driven back more and more upon the strength of the Christian
centre. In fact some people think that I have become distressingly
conservative in myoid age! It may look like it wi th books like
REDATING THE NEW TESTAMENT, in which I want to push back all the New
Testament documents before AD70 and CAN WE TRUST THE NEW TESTAMENT?
to which the answer is, if we know what we are trusting it for •••
Yes indeed. On the Fourth Gospel I am so square as to be almost in-
decent among my fellow academics. I actually do think that it may be
••• first Gospel, and written by John son of Zebedee ••• I remember
being sent an off-print, at the height of the HONEST TO GOD furore,
by a Southern Baptist from the United States who was using me and my
wri tings on the Fourth Gospel as a stick with which to beat the
liberals!" (p5). Unlike that Southern Baptist, we should not be misled
for while Robinson claims to "believe in the centre, both biblically
and doctrinally", he does so "on CRITICICAL AND HISTORICAL GROUNDS"
and has not recanted of anything he wrote in 'Honest to God' nor of
his stands in the sixties on Lady Chatterley or capital punishment,
homosexuality or abortion, etc. "We have got to strengthen the centre,
to be grounded in the Incarnation, which for me is the heart of any-
thing distinctively Christian we have to say to the world" (p6) yet,
he warns, "we must remain totally uncommitted, not constantly
trembling for the superstructure of doctrine or morals or organisa-
tion, or worrying about the dotted or dotty lines which divide us from
other Christians and those of other religions ••• As I urged in my
TR U TH IS TWO-E YED ••• I want to see strong centres and soft edg es,
not soft centres and hard edges" (p6). You have been warned!
38.
Against the background of a Christian family (his grandfather was
involved in the 1859 revival in Belfast) he describes the Anglican
ethos as essentially catholic rather than sectarian (p13), a flock
rather than a fold (p14), and a communion in which the rule of prayer
has shaped the rule of faith (p21) thus creating a distinctive and
broad view of authority wi th "its supple combination of scripture,
tradi tion and reason. We have declined to isolate the infallible man
or the infallible book or the epynomous founder. The 'Complete Church
of England man' has always been a composite and a rounded character
••• a both-and man rather than either-or, Catholic and Reformed,
priestly and prophetic, profound and simple, inclusive by temperament
rather than exclusive" (idem). Incidentally, Robinson's comprehensi-
vist doctrine of the church - supported by the majority now in the
Church of England - makes separatists wonder with amazement how so
many evangelicals today can remain within the Anglican communion.
Referring to some of the 'heresy trials' in recent years, the author
argues for a theological freedom in which people are free to believe
what they wish about the creeds ("no signature is required" p34) and
the Bible. In an astonishing statement, he claims that "theological
freedom lies at the very heart of the gospel and is an unexpendable
part of the birthright I cherish" (p43). This diffused and pluriform
model of truth is summarised by Robinson in ten propositions (pp53-
58): (1) Integrity is more fundamental than orthodoxy. (2) Love has
priority over law, (3) persons over principles, (4) relationships ...
existential realities over any abstractions from them. (5) The
priority of stands over standards, (6) justice over order, (7) ethos
over ethics, (8) function over form, (9) organism over organisation
and (10) existence over essence.
'Honest to Christ Today' is the ti tie of the third chapter in which
the author discusses the continuing Christological debate. His
approach is again disturbing and unbiblical as Robinson underlies four
points he regards as relevant to this debate.
His first point is, "Honesty to the irreducibility of incarnation"
(p59). He is not sure "which was the worse book, 'THE MYTH OF GOD
INCARNATE' or the evangelical reply, 'THE TRUTH OF GOD INCARNATE'!
The latter, Robinson argues, "failed to listen seriously to the impor-
tant questions being raised" (p60) and for this reason was virtually
ignored in the third round when Michael Goulder edited 'INCARNATION
AND MYTH: THE DEBATE CONTINUED'. I think it is nearer the mark to
39.
reply that it was not our refusal to listen to questions which dis-
turbed these theologians but our insistence on a thoroughly biblical
approach; it is this which isolates us from their assumptions, methods
and conclusions.
To establish his first point, Robinson - as he so frequently does -
misuses statements of Scripture, particularly 2 Corinthians 5:19
("God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself"). "It is
notable", he adds, "for what it does not say. It does not say that
God was Christ nor in any simplistic sense that Christ was God, but
that he represents the definitive act of God, that he is God about
his decisive work. What he does God does, so that Christ is not just
a man doing human things divinely, like any saint or seer, but a man
doing divine things humanly" (p60). The implications of this are
frighteningly clear as Robinson himself recognises, for Jesus is not
"God dressed up and walking this earth but the Word, God's creative,
self-expressive activity from the beginning, fully and finally
embodied in THIS MAN, who is COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY A MAN LIKE THE
REST OF US, IN ORIGIN, NATURE AND DESTINY" (p61: capitals mine). This
doctrine of the Incarnation for Robinson is not then tied to the
orthodox doctrine of the two 'natures', divine and human nor to the
notion of ANHYPOSTASIA or ENHYPOSTASIA, i.e. that our Lord's divine
and human natures are united in his divine person.
Robinson's second point is to stress honesty to the Jesus of history
as part of the Christ of faith (p68). Here he rightly stresses the
historical nature of many of the New Testament 'events' and questions
"the tyranny of unexamined presuppositions in much of the current
post-Bultmannian critical orthodoxy ••• " (p70).
Thirdly he wants "honesty to the fact that the Christ is bigger than
Jesus and God is bigger than Christ. To believe that God is best
defined in Christ is not to believe that God is confined to Christ"
(p71) and this subtle distinction allows the aut her to tone down the
distinctiveness and uniqueness of Christ in order to accommodate to
other religions.
Fi nally, Robinson. demands honesty to the story-line wherever it may
lead. His heretical position is illustrated with reference to the
ascension story which he views as "essentially the divine, symbolic,
mythological story - what Jesus is "according to the Spirit".
Similarly he sees the virgin birth as saying of Jesus "exactly what
40.
John is saying of Christians, that as sons of God, as children of a
'heavenly' birth, they are not to be accounted for in terms of the
will of the flesh nor of the will of man but only of God (John 1:13)
- though of course as human beings they are born like everyone else"
(p 75).
The following chapter entitled, 'What is the Gospel?' is equally dis-
appointing and unbiblical. Criticising evangelicals (mainly because
of a negative attitude towards politics with David Sheppard of Liver-
pool !la notable exception"!), Catholics ("the church is no longer
judged by the kingdom, and ecclesiastical absolutism becomes the
shadow-image of biblical fundamentalism" p82) and liberals ("at the
heart of much they say there is for me not much gospel either", p83),
he views the gospel in terms of the kingdom of God which lets "loose
God's sovereign righteousness and love into the affairs of men" (p84).
Despite the ambiguity of much of what Robinson writes here it is clear
that he has his own gospel which is radically different from that of
the New Testament. He emphasises its social character and believes
it is summed up in the benediction of 2 Corinthians 13:14 yet sees
little point in asking the question, 'What is the gospel?' for it is,
in his view, "impossible to answer in the abstract" (p88). He wants
to reword the question in personal, existential terms, "what is the
gospel - for you? ••• What really makes you tick, both in the flesh
and in the Lord?"
The remaining chapters deal with Social Ethics and the Witness of the
Church, the Place of Criminal Law in the Field of Sex, Christians and
Violence, Nuclear Power Options and brief studies of people like
Zacchaeus, the unjust steward, Judas, Julian of Norwich, Richard
Jefferies and J.B.Lightfoot.
This is an important book even though its content is disturbingly
unorthodox; it is of value to us in the lively way in which it
comments upon and illustrates trends in contemporary theology away
from a biblical faith. We need to be aware of what other theologians
are saying and at the same time contend ourselves for the faith in
a more'meaningful and responsible manner.
A less readable but equally important book is Donald E.Miller's 'THE
CASE FOR LIBERAL CHRISTIANITY (SCM Press, 1981, pp154, £4.50).
Writing as a sociologist and a liberal Christian, Professor Miller
41.
suggests how 'liberals' can think about the 'truth' of their faith
and commitment. Having abandoned the basic tenets of the Christian
fai th, the author nevertheless continued to participate regularly in
Communion as an expression of his desire to pursue the journey of
faith. "Regular attendance at worship services," he declares, "was
a highly tangible way of indicating to myself the seriousness of my
own engagement wi th the questions of ultimate meaning" (p4). He now
finds himself committed to the "Christian community, its heritage and
the Spirit that energizes it" (p5); although he still remains agnostic
on issues of faith, his change of attitude is due to the discovery
that meaning can function on more than one level. On this approach
the creeds and the Bible are only "landmarks representing how those
within the community of faith have reflected on the meaning of Christ
FOR THEM and how THEY have struggled through the issues of community
in their own time. They are statements of our past, of our forebears,
of our roots. To recite the creed is to affirm one's tradition. Regu-
larly reading the Scriptures reminds us whence we have come. These
acts serve to keep alive the tradition. Why? Because it is in the
tradition that we find the SYMBOLIC forms, the collective sentiments,
which bind us together as a distinctive community that offers one a
unique identity" (p7: capitals mine). Openness to other religions,
an identity wi th tr.anscendent and metaphysical overtones, a point of
stability and permanence, Durkheim's view of the community as well
as the emptiness of the alternatives all helped to influence Miller
and bring him back into the American, Episcopalian Church as an
agnostic but enthusiastic member of its community.
Chapters 2, 3 and 4 are entitled 'Commitment Beyond Belief', and
"articulate the reasonableness of a thoroughly liberal option" (p14).
He distinguishes between the form and substance (relegating the Scrip-
ture and all doctrinal statements to the I evel of mere social con-
structions). fiction and myth arguing that "the liberal or radical
Christian may be as devoted to the Church, to Christ, to the import-
ance of worship, as the evangelical who takes a more literal view of
the symbols ••• " (p21).
Employing the story of the analogy of the cave in Plato's Republic
and the parable of the Grand Inquisitor in Dostoevsky's classic novel,
'The Brothers Karamazov', Miller puts forward the familiar argument
in chapter three that reality exceeds human form and conceptualiza-
tion. Some of the distinctive characteristics of the liberal perspec-
tive are outlined briefly in chapter four. These characteristics
42.
include an accommodative attitude towards culture, emphasis upon the
moral witness of their faith, the basepoint of reason, a critical and
sociological interpretation of the Bible, and symbolic realism (i.e.
IImeaning is always a product of the interaction between subject and
object", p39). Professor Miller believes what is needed in the
churches today "is a wide-scale recovery of the liberal spirit •••
our social situation is ripe for the rebirth of Christian liberalism.
But the ethical perspective of liberalism is only one reason for the
return. Even more persuasive ••• is the fact that in the last decade
Christendom has become polarized
ll
(pp41,42) between evangelicals
(including the cults) and radical secularists. The concluding sections
are devoted to the construction of a liberal Christian identity both
in the church and in society.
This is a remarkably honest book, self-critical and provocative in
its approach. Basically its message is an old one but the author's
personal experience, professional qualifications and deep concern for
the 'liberal' cause in Christendom make i't a useful and interesting
book. Certainly the failure and emptiness of theological liberalism
is all too apparent within its pages.
'LIVING THEOLOGY IN ASIA', edited by John C.England is another
absorbing publication by the SCM Press (1981, pp242, £4.95). Con-
temporary theology is not the exclusive concern of the West, of
course, but what do we know as evangelicals of the theological reflec-
tions and tensions taking place in Asia? This book is a useful intro-
duction to the subject and will repay careful study.
The necessary research for the material was made possible through a
fellowship awarded by the World Council of Churches to the editor in
1975:'77. In his introduction, the editor reminds us that these Asian
theologians are writing in practical situations in which their main
concern is llfirst of all pastoral and missional, in the sense that
the present dilemmas facing' prophetic and embattled minorities are
what determine their 'response
ll
(pI). They also have a concern for
indigenous culture and religion but are IIpeople-centred and radical
in concern" (p7). What of the theological method employed by these
theologians? Most frequently they blend inductive and deductive ele-
ments, individual and co-operative reflection, writing and living.
While various sequences and combinations are discernible in the book,
the principle elements are: (1) "An involvement in, and exposure to,
actual life-conditions of suffering and of struggle. (2) A'
43.
contemplation, and receiving, of this reality, which includes both
medi tative and analytical processes in the attempt to see the whole
picture and the larger human perspectives. (3) Reflection, which
relates the life and teaching of Jesus and of the Hebrew prophets,
to concrete incident and local community. This interprets and clari-
fies, interconnects and evaluates the 'stories' being told, and the
larger affirmations. (4) Engagement, once more, within the situation;
in co-operative planning, working, writing. Motivation and under-
standing are again tested and refined" (pp7 ,8).
As one might expect, the selected writings from twenty-four theolo-
gians representing eight Asian countries vary in quality, orthodoxy
and emphases yet all express a serious attempt to relate and interpret
Scripture in the light of considerable suffering and anguish.
It may be profitable for our readers to learn of the way in which
liberal theology has developed in Asia. Do we naively assume that all
'Christian' theology in Asia or Africa is sound? Consider, for
example, the position in South Korea. While Protestantism was
established in the country in 1884, it was not until the second and
third decades of this century that evangelical teaching in the
churches was seriously challenged and this was due largely to the
exposure of some Presbyterian pastors and theological teachers to
Japanese theological thinking. Eventually in 1953 the Presbyterian
Church, Republic of Korea, was founded on the principles of freedom
for theological scholarship and an ecumenical pattern of mission. The
most prominent leader in this development was an Old Testament
scholar, Kim Jai-Jun, who IIvigorously focussed attention upon critical
biblical studies, upon explosive social and political issues, and upon
the formation of a Korean theologyll (plO). More recently he has moved
his attention from the person of Christ, "whose deeds the Christian
must now do in Korean history, to Christ's suffering servanthood.
Suffering is necessary for any real revolution, spiritual or social.
Whatever the cost, evil must be declared to be evil and resisted, as
part of the original mission of the church" (idem). The 1960s and
1970s have seen a strengthening of the ecumenical and critical/politi-
cal approach encouraged by the National Christian Council of Korea.
May, 1973 saw the issuing of the Theological Declaration of Korean
Christians in which members stressed their allegiance to the Lord of
History, lithe ultimate vindicator of the oppressed, the weak and the
poor" and reminiscent of South American liberation theology the signa-
tories declared their determination IIby the Spirit to participate in
44.
the transformation" of society, history and people and they then list
their government's "diabolical acts against humanity" (p11). Due to
increased suffering including arrests, torture and executions in the
early seventies the cross of Christ has moved "steadily to the centre
of theological concern" although the treatment is existential and
political rather than biblical.
It was not until the mid-1920s, again, that some churches in CHINA
began to devel.op a contextual theology in a deep concern for indigeni-
sation and the grappling with urgent social and national issues (p58).
India, by contrast, has had a 'Christian' (Syrian Nestorians in South
India) presence since the fourth century. Roman Catholicism and then
Protestantism (initially through the work of the East India Company
Chaplains) were established in the country in the seventeenth century
but theological developments in the earlier parts of this present
century were influenced by the struggle for independence, religious
pluralism, desperate social needs, universalism and liberal theology.
By today the YMCA, SCM, the Christian Ashram Movement, the Christian
I nsti tute for Study of Re li gion and Soci ety and some of the Ro man
Catholic seminaries and institutes in Delhi and Bangalore have all
contributed significantly to the shaping of Indian theology.
If you want to read of these developments and influences in Asiatic
countries then this book will serve as a useful introduction, and the
detailed Notes, the Short Bibliography of national and church histor-
ies for each country as well as the Biographical Notes concerning the
twenty-four contributors are invaluable. All in all, this is a key
book. However, the message to evangelicals here is loud and clear.
Christians and Pastors overseas, as here, must be trained to think
theologically and biblically. The World Council of Churches and rela-
ted organisations are giving priority (and considerable sums of money
in scholarships) to the development of a very different theology, one
which is contextual, political and unorthodox. What are we doing to
help our brethren in the Third World to: "contend for the faith which
was once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3)?
Another important book is CHRIST'S LORDSHIP AND RELIGIOUS PLURALISM,
edited by Gerald H.Anderson and Thomas F (published by ORBIS
and distributed in Britain by SPCK, 1983, pp209, £5.56).
A Consultation on Christ's Lordship and Religious Pluralism was held
45.
at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia from 24-27 October
1979 wi th theologians and Church leaders, Roman Catholic, Orthodox,
conservative evangelical and ecumenical Protestant, men and women in-
cluding Third World representatives all engaging in frank, discussions
on the relationship of Christianity to other religions. For this
reason it is claimed that the conference that this book represents
"marks ••• a milestone in historical development ••• Not long ago THIS
sort of conference just would not have happened" (p.vii).
"In this latter part of the twentieth century," declares Donald G.Dawe
in his introduction, "Christians are facing in a new way the continu-
ing and seemingly incurable religious pluralism of the world ••• other
religions have not disappeared but have taken on new vitality and in
some areas have expanded their influence. Ancient religions faced the
challenge of Western Christianity and culture and have renewed them-
selves, not by rejecting but by reappropriating their own traditions.
And in other places, secular ideologies and Marxism have reshaped
whole nations. A renewed Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam have started
small· but highly visible countermissionary movements. How are we to
these facts in the light of the Lordship of Christ?" (p3).
Expressing the question biblically, the challenge is to interpret Acts
4:12 in the light of Acts 14:17 - "yet he did not leave himself with-
out wi tness ... "
The opening chapter is entitled 'Notes for Three Bible Studies' and
the contributor, Krister Stendahl, radically removes the distinctive
character of the Christian gospel by driving a wedge between Jesus's
preaching of the kingdom and the Church's preaching of Jesus ("thus
we are faced with a danger: we may so preach Jesus that we lose the
vision of the kingdom, the mended creation," (plO) and then by inter-
preting Acts 4:12 as an inter-Jewish debate between the
and the people containing no "good basis for an absolute clai'm in an
absolute sense" (piS)! In a concluding section of this chapter,
Stendahl refers to Romans 10:18-11:36 and observes how "Paul writes
this whole section without mentioning the name of Jesus Christ, and
his final doxology is not - as is his usual style - in Christ-la(l:guage
but in God-language (11:33-36). It is as if Paul did not want them
to have the Christ-flag to wave ••• They did not understand their
mission as a particular witness of THEIR peculiar community in a WORLD
of communities" (pI8: capitals mine). This astonishing inference is
only one of many examples of atrocious hermeneutics in the book.
46.
The next five chapters each contain a main article followed immedi-
ately by two responses from people of differing views and traditions;
each chapter then ends with a reply by the author of the main articles
to these responses. This kind of approach is particularly helpful for,
besides facilitating discussion, it quickly exposes weaknesses and
pinpoints areas of disagreement.
What does it mean to affirm that Jesus Christ is Lord? Does mission
mean the conquest of other religions or 'lords'? Does universality
mean simply the extension of Christian particularity? These are the
questions raised by Stanley J.Samartha in the second chapter entitled
'The Lordship of Jesus Christ and Religious Pluralism'. The chapter
contains a radical re-interpretation of Christianity involving the
rejection of some foundational biblical doctrines. Predictably he con-
cludes that "there are different faiths, ... alternative ways of
salvation ••• different hopes about human destiny ••• In the last
analysis, religions should be recognised as having responded differ-
ently to the mystery of the Ultimate. While recognising the plurality
of these answers, Christians believe that in Jesus Christ the Ultimate
has become intimate wi th humanity, that nowhere els.e is the victory
over suffering and death manifested so decisively as in the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that they are called upon to share
this good news humbly with their neighbours" (p36). By way of
response, the evangelical Arthur F.Glasser of Fuller Theological Semi-
nary, Pasadena criticises Samartha's understanding of Christ's lord-
ship arguing that in the gospels "Christ's lordship is inseparably
linked with the issue of truth Throughout the Gospels he
unabashedly and with self-conscious authority claimed to be THE
Teacher and THE Lord of all mankind. Hence, the test of one's sub-
mission to his Lordship is the acceptance of his teaching" (p41). How-
ever, Dr Samartha was still unrepentant in his reply and in disagree-
ment concerning the nature of the Bible's authority. "I find it diffi-
cuI t", he adds, "to accept the view whi"ch limits the ground of reli-
gious authority. to the Bible alone" (p5;4). He continues, "Is any exe-
gesis by itself sufficient basis to conclude that the entire religious
li fe of Hindus and Buddhists extending to more than three thousand
years of spiritual struggle ~ n devotion has no share in the struggle
for truth at all or is wrong or quite wrong? The limitation is surely
not in the Word of God, but in the historical and cultural .circum-
stances,
of truth
(i dem) •
which inevitably change from time to time ••• The question
is indeed important, but God's love is even more important"
47.
Chapter Three is a detailed evangelical statement under the title,
INo Other Name
l
and written by Waldron Scott the former general secre-
tary of the World Evangelical Fellowship. IIEvangelicals
ll
, he warns,
lIare a biblically oriented people. Precisely because the theme of
Christ1s lordship is biblically grounded, it becomes inescapable to
evangelicals
ll
(p58). Quoting the Lausanne Covenant he insists that
we cannot separate the lordship of Christ from the historical figure
of Jesus nor from the historic name of Jesus: IIWe also reject as
derogatory to Christ and the Gospel every kind of syncretism and dia-
logue which implies that Christ speaks equally through all religions
and theologies
ll
(p59). Another aspect of Christ1s lord.ship is the
Great Commission of Matthew 28:18,19. liThe missionary movement -
traditionally focused on cross-cultural evangelism, conversion,
church-planting, discipling, and service - has been and continues to
be for evangelicals an authentic expression of the lordship of Christ
in a religiously pluralistic world
ll
(p61) an estimated 16,750
cultural units are still unreached by any Christian witness.
Jesus is also the lord of justice so that Christians will respond to
his lordship by working for justice in the world. In this respect
IIChristians must be prepared to cooperate with people of other faiths
in rectifying situations inimical to human welfare and promoting
activities that aim establishing justice
ll
•
Referring to the important distinction between general and special
revelation, Scott declares that lIevangelicals see in the biblical
testimony a low view, not a high view, of people1s religions
ll
(p65).
Scott then quotes David Hesselgrave1s call to evangelicals to IIreview
their attitude of disinterest and non-participation in dialogue
ll
(p67)
· that is, dialogue on the nature of dialogue, interreligious dialogue
to promote freedom of worship and witness, dialogue concerned with
meeting human need, dialogue designed to break down barriers of dis-
· trust wi thin the religious world, and dialogue that has as its objec-
mutual comprehension of conflicting truth claims. Some evangeli-
cals are currently engaged in interreligious dialogue. For example,
the Overseas Ministries Study Centre at Ventnor, New Jersey arranges
· regular dialogue between evangelicals, ecumenical Protestants and
Roman Catholics. Eight evangelical leaders met in Venice in 1978 with
· an equal number of Catholic theologians to discuss Isigns of conver-
gence
l
in their understandings of. mission. Scott himself is
in frequent contact with the Catholic charismatic office in Brussels
while evangelical and Jewish leaders have also met together to discuss
48.
issues of theology and history. Nearer home, the Evangelical Alliance
of Great Britain has authorised a special commission "to clarify the
issues of inter-faith dialogue" (p68). Two years ago the Fellowship
of European Evangelical Theologians emphasised the necessity of dia-
logue between evangelicals and non-Christians, including Marxists.
In addition, a call to "faith missions to get better acquainted with
the psychological and religious sources of non-Christian religions"
was made recently by Ernest Oliver. Since 1963 some evangelicals have
been engaged in dialogue with Muslims in India.
Amongst the contributions evangelicals can offer in dialogue, Scott
pinpoints a positive biblical wi tness in relation to dialogue, the
possibility of losing sight of the very real phenomenon of conversion
and the necessity of keeping alert to the demonic in religion (pp71-
73) •
Margrethe B.J. Brown in her response is extremely unhappy with the
basic evangelical position adopted by Scott. She sees an unhealthy
preoccupation on our part with Matthew 28:18,19 as well as an immature
approach when we ask whether natural revelation in other religions
measures up to Christian standards. That kind of approach, she claims,
"misses the contemporary key issue for an understanding of the Lord-
ship of Christ vis-a-vis religious pluralism, which calls us first
to re-examine our culturally biased understanding of Lordship .•• "
(p 77). Quite discerningly, Thomas Stransky (Roman Catholic) in his
response sees the contemporary cleavage not between Rome and Protest-
antism but between the mainstream Protestant/RC/Orthodox and the con-
servative evangelicals (p79).
The Roman Catholic perspective is given by Pietro Rossano in chapter
four. Relating his comments to the relevant statements in Vatican
Council 11 and in the subsequent documents of the RC church from Paul
VI's 1975 Exhortation on Evangelisation to John Paul II's 1979
Encyclical on the Redemption of Man, Rossano warns that the problem
of religious pluralism must not be minimised (p98). Acknowledging that
"for the Christian, Christ is the religious truth" (p99), the author
proceeds to relate this to the "immense problem of the religious
pluralism of humankind" (plOl). Denying the fact that religions con-
tain different and genuine revelations from God, he quotes the des-
cription of religions given by Pope John Paul 11 as "the marvellous
heritage of the human spirit" and of their values as "the work of the
Sp i ri t of God who breathes where he wi 11" (p 1 02). The author accounts
49.
for differing religions by insisting that "illumination given by the
Word is the same, the responses are different" (idem). Such religions
then "are in a continual process of transformation, of progress and
reform, of conservation and development, both under the influence of
circumstances and, at best, under the action of the Spirit of Christ
active in their adherents." He sums up the church's global approach
to world religions as that of proclamation and dialogue.
Combining a special blend of liberation theology with an evangelical
flavour, Orlando Costas writes in the fifth chapter from a Latin
American Christological perspective. He is concerned with the "world
of the oppressed and disfranchised ••• the struggle ••• against social
and cultural oppression, economic exploitation and political domina-
tion" (p133). He claims that his understanding of the lordship of
Christ is derived "from the wi tness of the canonical Scriptures,
through the hermeneutical mediation of exegesis, historical studies,
and the social sciences, motivated by a personal encounter wi th him
and verified in a life of radical discipleship amid the struggles of
history" (p134).
In the following twenty pages, Costas roots his radical social in-
volvement in the life and ministry of Jesus (e.g. "we have here words
IN the deed and a deed· IN the words", p138), and the death of Jesus
(e.g. "Isaiah's suffering servant situates the cross on the side of
the poor and the afflicted, the sick and the oppressed" (p141). Some
of his statements are questionable and pressed too far yet this con-
tributor endeavours to be faithful to the biblical doctrines of sin
and the person and work of Christ (cf. p144). In relation to world
religions, Costas regard.s the HISTORICAL "name of Jesus" as a criti-
cism of all religions so "it follows that the religions (including
Christianity) can mediate God's presence in history only insofar as
they are signs and instruments of God's coming kingdom" (p152). For
Costas this can occur only under three conditions. First, when reli-
gions can "accept the scandal of the cross of Jesus amid the human
crosses of the world" and, secondly, if "they lead their adherents
to come outside the enclosed circle of their religious interests to
the battlefields of life and join the crucified Lord in the struggle
for the liberation of the poor and oppressed of the world" (p153).
Thirdly, "religions may be signs and instruments of God's kingdom if
they are anticipating it in their inner life. This means that their
inner structure must be a paradigm of justice, freedom, and hope."
What then. according to Costas, is the challenge to Christians in a
50.
religiously plural world? Certainly not one of accommodation but
rather "a challenge to commitment and engagement in the liberating
mission of the crucified and risen Lord who is to be found among the
disfranchised of society. To the extent that they are influential in
enabling religions to follow this path, they will help religions to
fulfil an 'infrastructural' (praxial) role that will turn them into
signs of a new humanity" (p154).
The book ends with a panel discussion re: models for Christian disci-
pleship amid religious pluralism then an attempt at summation by
Wilfred Cantwell Smith. The relation of Christianity to other reli-
gions is now- a subject receiving considerable attention amongst theo-
logians and churches and some disturbing developments are afoot. This
publication will helpfully lead the uninitiated into the current on-
going debate and, hopefully, encourage a more biblical and theological
response from evangelicals.
On the subje-ct of plu-ralism, you may like to read C.A.Lamb's brief
study in the LATIMER STUDIES series (14)- entitled, 'JESUS THROUGH
OTHER EYES: CHRISTOLOGY IN HUL TI-FAITH CONTEXT' (Latimer House, Oxford
1982, pp36, £1.25). C.A.Lamb, who is co-ordinator of the BCMS/CMS
Other Faiths Theological Project, reminds us of what Islam, Hinduism
and Judaism teach concerning the Lord }esus and after this exercise
in comparative theology, he considers - albeit too generally - the
significance of other He laments the fact, for example,
that in Great Britain with at least one million Muslims, theological
training for ministers includes little, if any, comparative study of
religions. But what of the religious experience of people in other
religions? Lamb is hesitant and open-ended in his reply as he quotes
the expositions o-f Jeremiah 20:7'-13 by Rabbi Jonathan Magonet. Never-
theless, this is a helpful booklet.
It is a great pleasure for the reviewer to commend unreservedly the
'COLLECTED WRITINGS OF JOHN HURRAY', volumes 1-4, edited by Ian H.
Murray and published by the BANNER OF TRUTH (£9.95 volume). These
theological writings are among the most significant to be published
wi thin the evangelical constituency in recent years and merit a wide
r eade rshi p.
Volume I, 'THE CLAIMS OF TRUTH' (pp374) contains the most important
of John Murray's shorter writings and talks between the years 1935
and 1973. Divided into nine sections and forty-nine chapters, the book
51.
touches on important subjects like the Holy Scriptures, Jesus Christ,
the Gospel and its Proclamation, the Church, Issues in the Contempor-
ary World as well as some historical addresses. None of this material
has been published previously in book form. Avoiding verbosity and
unnecessary technical jargon, Professor Hurray's style is consistently
lucid and direct. Unlike other reviewers, I think it best to start
reading Hurray at Volume 1 for the chapters are relatively brief yet
foundational and preparatory to some of the material in later volumes.
All the chapters will repay careful study and I hope preachers will
refer to these writings regularly in sermon preparation.
The second volume 'SYSTEHATIC THEOLOGY' (pp417) represents John
Hurray's own selection from his articles and lectures in systematic
theology. The subjects are arranged in seven sections and thirty-six
chapters under the themes of Han, Common Grace, Christ, Redemption,
Sanctification, Church and Sacraments, the Last Things. "His self-
judgment on his long teaching ministry", remarks the editor Ian H.
Hurray, "was that it had been given to him to make some contributions
to the understanding of Scripture on relatively few subjects. It was
THESE subjects, rather than Systematic Theology as a whole, which
received most of his attention in the latter part of his life and
happily they figure prominently in the manuscripts which he pre-
p a r ed ••• " (p. vii) •
Volume 3 (pp389) has been well received by readers for two important
reasons. One is the excellent biography of John Hurray by the editor
(pp3-158) which is absorbing and challenging. After outlining his
background and education, the biographer details carefully the steps
leading to John Hurray's appointment in Princeton as assistant in
Systematic Theology to Caspar Wistar Hodge (1929) then as Professor
of Systematic Theology in the new Westminster Seminary at Philadelphia.
Once in Westminster we see Hurray alongside men of the calibre of
Gresham Hachen, helping Hachen on intricate theological questions as
well as encouraging and supporting him in the doctrinal cleavage with
the Presbyterian Church in America then in the establishing of the
Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 1936. Chapter five provides a good
insight into the struggles of the later thirties while the next
chapter introduces us to the war years when John Hurray continued his
seminary teaching. His friend.hip with, and later marriage to Valerie
Knowles and his wider ministry in Britain dominate the final chapters.
Retiring from the seminary in 1966, Hurray returned home immediately
to his native Scotland and married a year later. He eventually died
in 1975. Another reason why this third volume has been singled out
52.
for praise is the section of nineteen sermons, sermons which contain
rich spiritual understanding and application. This volume ends wi th
a section of reviews written by Professor Murray in the period 1939-
1953.
'STUDIES IN THEOLOGY' is the title of the final volume (pp390). Almost
a hundred pages are allocated to reviews. The remainder of the book
contains six historical studies (four, for example, on Calvin's teach-
ing concerning Scripture, the Sovereignty of God and Predestination)
and ten articles on such important subjects as Inspiration and
Inerrancy, Jesus the Son of God, Who Raised up Jesus?, the Reconcilia-
tion, Paul's use of 'Nomos', the Weak and the Strong. All in all this
is another substantial volume although some readers may be unwilling
for so many reviews to appear in one volume. Let me assure you, how-
ever, that these reviews are far from being irrelevant or unimportant.
Murray's reviews of G.C.Berkouwer's books ('Faith and Justification',
'The Work of Christ'), Karl Barth's 'Christ and Adam', Emil Brunner's
'Eternal Hope' or Bernard Ramm's writings on The Witness of the Spirit
then Special Revelation and the Word of God are invaluable.
Allow me to conclude this review by referring in more detail to some
of the more important features of Professor John Murray's writings
in these volumes.
First of all, one is impressed by the Professor's graciousness and
humility in contending for, and expounding, the Scriptures. Consider,
for example, the way in which he reviews Steven Barabas's book, 'The
History and Message of the Keswick Convention' (Vo1.4, pp281-6).
Al though he pulls no punches in his criticism of the Convention yet
he graciously acknowledges certain emphases of Keswick which call "for
special commendatory mention" (p282). For instance, "Keswick has
evinced a renewed appreciation of the implications for SANCTIFICATION
of the union of the believer with Christ ••• 2. Keswick recognises
that sanctification is a process in connection with which the
believer's responsibility is to be fully exercised ••• 3. There is
the recognition of, indeed constant stress upon, the work and presence
of the Holy Spirit in the heart and life of the believer; the Spirit-
filled life is the central, dominating theme of the Convention ...
Furthermore, when we think of the honoured names which have been
associated with Keswick ••• we have to reckon with a movement which
enlisted the support of cultured and devoted servants of Christ and
one hesitates to embark upon criticism ••• " Earlier he commends
certain features of the book before he exposes the Keswick claim that
53.
Christians need not be "CONSCIOUS of the tendency' to sin. "To have
sin in us and not to be conscious of it", warns Professor Murray, "is
itself grave sin; it is culpable ignorance or culpable ignoring"
(p283). He certainly spoke the truth - in love!
Furthermore, he remained humble and self-effacing throughout his
Christian life and Seminary teaching. When, for example, he looked
back over the first ten years of Westminster Seminary, he wrote we
"have to confess that we have come far short of our profession and
aim. Indeed, when we think of our own sins and shortcomings, we are
amazed that God in his displeasure has not wrenched this banner out
of our hands and given it to others more worthy than we ••• " (Vo1.3,
p78). Many other examples of his graciousness and humility appear in
these volumes and it behoves us to follow his example.
Secondly, his writings are thoroughly biblical. As a student in
Princeton (1924-27), teachers like Geerhardus Vos lIinstilled in him
the conviction that doctrine must be arrived at through a painstaking
examination of the Scriptures in their original languages ••• Murray's
commi tment to the Reformed Faith was not changed, but it became in
a new way, rooted in the Bible itself" (Vo1.3:p29). In his lectures
he never started by quoting or reproducing Hodge or Calvin, etc. His
starting point was always the text of Scripture. IIThis careful
scrutiny of the text of Scripture was never hurried over, and if,
sometimes, the examination of the biblical language seemed as dry as
dust, he would tell his hearers 'to remember that we are dealing wi th
gold dust! "' (Vo1.3:p93). Such an approach proved beneficial to the
church for he gave us a more thorough and biblical understanding of
certain doctrines (e.g. 'Adamic Administration' and 'Definitive Sanc-
tification' in volume 2; 'The High-Priestly Ministry of Christ' in
volume 1, etc) and, at the same time, he challenged cherished reformed
traditions or teachings which he deemed to be insufficiently biblical.
IIHowever much assistance we may derive from formulations and exposi-
tions of Scripture truth ••• yet, after all, the Bible is the only
SUFFICIENT rule of faith and life as well as the only infallible rule.
We must betake ourselves anew, day by day, with humble and submissive
minds to the law and to the testimony so that our minds may be illu-
mined, replenished, refreshed, renewed and reinvigorated by the pure
light that shines in the pages of God's inerrant Word ••• Our devotion
to a tradition is wholesome only when we recognise in that tradition,
not the authority of the fathers, but the authority of God's Word.
Apart from the recognition of divine authority, all our religious
54.
devotion is abomination in the sight of God" (Vol.l :p7). One example
of Professor Murray's commitment to Scripture over and above tradition
is his excellent treatment of Common Grace where he rightly credits
Calvin for opening up "a new vista" and a "new era in theological
formulation of this doctrine" but he criticises the definitions of
the subject given by C.Hodge then A.A.Hodge as "rather restricted".
Murray then broadens the word 'grace' (p96) and proceeds to give a
satisfyingly biblical formulation of common grace. One can safely turn
to Murray for a faithful exegesis of Scripture and a competent formu-
lation of biblical doctrine.
Another important feature of Murray's Collected Writings is that they
are contemporary. He faced many of our problems and speaks in a rele-
vant way to us in the eighties. For example, "Co-operation in Evan-
gelism" is one of our contemporary problems. "The God of the evangeli-
cal", he warns, "is not the God of the modernist. The Christ of the
evangelical is not the Christ of the modernist. Revelation, as the
source and norm of all faith and worship, is conceived of in radically
different ways" (Vol.l:p157). The following sections are sub-titled,
'Did Paul Co-operate?', 'Are John's Injunctions Relevant?', 'Preach
to All', 'Co-operate with Believers Only', 'God's Revealed Will Versus
the Pragmatic Test'. His addresses on, 'Some Necessary Emphases in
Preaching', the 'Power of the Holy Spirit', the 'Church and Mission'
or 'The Gospel and its Proclamation' are pertinent to our situation.
Dealing with the finality and sufficiency of Scripture, John Murray
observes: "As we read a great deal of the theological output" of the
present day ••• one of its most striking features is the well-nigh
total absence of any attempt to expound or be regulated in thought
by the Scripture itself. This is because the regulative principle of
the Reformation, especially of its Reformed exponents, has been aban-
doned, and with it, by necessity, the finality of Scripture" (Vol.l:
p.ll). He then rebukes evangelicals for failing "to assess the sig-
nificance of what has been going on for "a hundred years or more within
the Protestant camp. We are suddenly awakened by the outspokenness
of John Robinson. But all of this and more is implicit in seeds sown
long before we were born, when the axe was laid at the root of the
tree in the denial of the veracity of Scripture ••• the fruit is now
being borne, and we can see it not only in the realm of doctrine and
fai th but in the staggering proportions of moral disintegration".
Murray is convinced that the leading exponents of contemporary
Protestantism are reconstructing the gospel so that it will be rele-
vant. "This", he warns, "is the capital sin of our generation. Taking
55.
their starting point from the modern man's mentality they have revised
the gospel to meet the dilemmas in which the church has found itself
in the face of wholesale indifference and hostility". Once again these
are challenging words of rebuke for evangelicals: "we have not
esteemed and prized the perfection of Scripture and its finali ty •••
we have resorted to other techniques, expedients, and methods of
dealing wi th the dilemma that confronts us ••• " {p21}. Here then are
the words and concerns of a theologian rooted in the Word of God and
concerned that the message of God should not be "derived FROM the
modern mentality, but declared TO the modern mentality in all the
desperateness of its anxiety and misery" {p22}.
These four volumes then are refreshingly contemporary, outstandingly
biblical and profoundly practical. The reviewer heartily concurs with
the statement by lan H.Murray, the editor, in his Preface to Volume
2 {p.ix}: "The twentieth century may be remembered by the church of
the future as an age in ~ h i h theology and Christianity, learning and
piety, had parted companx, save in the testimony of a few. Prominent
among the few was the author of these pages and we do not doubt that
they will be read with deep enrichment by the redeemed until the
Advent of the Saviour." Buy and then read these volumes soon!
'MEMOIR OF THE WESTMINSTER DIVINES'
- Review by Rev Gilbert Evans, (Flint, Clwyd)
James Reid. Banner of Truth. 2 volumes in one binding. pp768.
published January 1983. £7.95
Another considerable work from the Banner of Truth has been published
containing valuable historical and theological material concerned with
the individuals who took part in the Westminster Assembly.
For those familiar with Puritan literature a mere glance at the index
of names reveals a galaxy of stars in the firmament, some more lumin-
ous than others, perhaps because their writings have prevented dis-
tance making dim? This book rescues many great and good men from un-
merited oblivion. {p24 preface}.
James Reid evidently held these divines in the highest admiration and
spent much time and energy on collecting information about them in
56.
order to counter historical calumnies and to exhibit the religious
principles and correspondent practices of these reformers. Such men
resisted the excessive powers of prelacy and kingly absolutism and
took part in a great parliamentary revolution which changed the course
of British history.
The p r e f c ~ -extols the value of history and specifically biography
as a vademecum for all who study divinity (pI). "The lives of good
men should often be in the hands of students of divinity" (p4). The
author's design is not to lavish ecomiums, but to hold up for imita-
tion eminently learned and spiritual characters, who were indefati-
gably diligent in propagating the spiritual kingdom of Christ".
An account is given of their birth, descent, education, religious con-
victions, character, choice sayings and remarkable actions, calibre,
achievements, afflictions, deaths, literary remains etc.
Reid's fervour is coaxing, though his style is a little prolix.
Perhaps readers will share in the reviewer's regret over the passing
of an age of elegant use of language such as Reid displays. We must
also lament the difference in stature between the divines of this day
and- that of the subjects of this memoir. "There were giants in those
days" !
There is a great disparity in the length of each subject depending
on availability of material at such a remove in time and dependent
too on the fame or literary/ecclesiastical accomplishments of
individual men. Not all took to the pen so perhaps their value was
not perceived by their own and succeeding generations, for example:
Thomas Micklethwait (Vo1.2 p86) and John Philips (Vo1.2 p120). Others
are better known, such as William Twisse the Assembly's Prolocuter,
John Arrowsmith, Jeremiah Burroughs, Edmund Calamy, Joseph Caryl,
Thomas Gataker, Thomas Goodwin, William Gouge, John Lightfoot, Stephen
Marshall, Philip Nye and the four illustrious Scottish Commissioners
- Robert Baillie, George Gillespie, Alexander Henderson and saintly
Samuel Rutherford. Such men were at the heart of the great national
deliverance from Laudinism and were providentially placed for the on-
going of Reformation principles when these were endangered by the
equivocation of the Stuarts.
An account is given of the historical antecedents and occasions of
57.
the conflict between Throne and Parliament, and between Erastian and
Laudian power-lust, on the one hand and Reformation principles and
liberty of conscience on the other. The struggle was intense, as these
kings, who desired absolutist powers, encouraged and elevated bishops
to aggregate power under the maxim "No Bishop, no king". They
attempted to raise the power of the crown above the authority of the
law and strove to suppress those opinions and institutions peculiar
to Calvinism employing tyrannical courts of High Commission and like
repressive measures to achieve their designs (preface pp11-13).
The power of their convictions was supportive to these men during
these troubled times and abundant afflictions. To quote a choice
saying of Simeon Ashe when dying, "The comforts of a holy life are
real and soul supporting. I feel the reality of them and you may know
by me that it is not in vain to serve God" (Vol.1 p125). Another
saying "Without Me, said Christ, you can do nothing; neither without
Him can we endure any thing".
Another godly divine, well known through his writings, particularly
"A lifting up for the Down-cast" is William Bridge who also has some
of his choice sayings recorded e.g. "Let your company be always such
as you may get good from and do good unto". "When you are alone, think
of good things; and when you are in company, speak of good things".
"Keep the truth, and the truth will keep you". (Vol.1 p144).
Reid's task was an arduous one in a busy life and he was able to
proceed in the collection and recording of his materials only at
intervals. He mourns the lamentable scarcity of biographical informa-
tion despite all his efforts and expense, consequently of so many
great men we know only enough tO,wish that we knew more.
The reviewer recognises that the author had great admiration for the
subjects of these memoirs, he also sees the important place these men
had in the struggle for the Reformed faith in these islands. One must
however, be prepared to exercise patience and perseverence with regard
to the prolixity and repetitiousness of such a collection - reading
it through does call for sympathy and a taste for antiquity. Neverthe-
less, it is a collection which brings those who contributed so much
to the Reformed faith so much nearer, and provides unique information
to balance the distortions or neglect of prejudiced minds.
* * * * *
58.
CALVINUS REFORMATOR: His Contribution to
Theology, Church and Society
Reviewed by the Editor
Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education. 1982. pp323.
paperback (available from Institute for Reformation Studies,
Potchefstroom University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
Here is a competent, comprehensive - albeit, at times, technical -
survey of contemporary Calvin research which will be invaluable to
students of Church History and Historical Theology. All the chapters
were originally papers read and discussed at the South African Con-
gress for the Advancement of Research on Calvin in 1980, a Congress
which was originally conceived of at the International Congress on
Calvin Research held in Amsterdam, September 1978.
An absorbing, introductory chapter by Professor W.H.Neuser of West
Germany provides details of international Calvin research. He reports
that Calvin and Luther research "are currently experiencing astonish-
ing momentum and enormous expansion. Great interest in this research
is being manifested today throughout the world by ecclesiastical and
academic circles" (p1), although Prof. Neuser argues there is more
need to catch up in Calvin rather than in Luther research. Only two
centres of Calvin research exist, namely, in Strassburg and in Grand
Rapids and while individual scholars throughout the world are re-
searching on Calvin, there is an urgent need to co-ordinate this re-
search. Some immediate tasks include a new edition of the Complete
Works of Calvin, a satisfactory presentation of Calvin's theology and
more detailed attention to his sermons.
The chapters immediately following touch on the following subjects:
Research on Calvin and its influence in the field of Afrikaans theo-
logy, Research on and influence of Calvin in the English-speaking
ecclesiastical sphere (J.A.B.Holland), Calvin research at Calvin (C.J.
Vos), The Editio Princeps of the Institutio Christianae Religionis
1536 and then a brief characteric of Calvin's theology (Prof.
Potgieter). In the latter chapter, Professor Potgieter writes: "It
is indisputable that Calvin accepted the apostle's pronouncement (2
Tim 3:16) unconditionally. With respect to his conception of deity,
there can be no doubt that it was that of the triune God, which is
basic to his Institutes" (p41). His conclusion is that "the most
appropriate term to characterise the theology of Calvin would be:
TRINITARIAN - with all that implies as to revealed truth as well as
59.
to the unfathomable counsel of the LIVING God, who "so loved the world
that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall
not perish but have eternal life", and whose Spirit lives in the
fai thful as in his temple. This means that Calvin gave us a theology
permeated by the "UNIO ••• MYSTICA", about which he waxes so eloquent:
"What the mind has imbibed (must) be poured into the heart" (p47).
Chapter seven is entitled, 'Calvin and the Theological Trends of his
Time' and here Dr Balke of the Netherlands identifies the theological
trends within and without the reformatory movement as: ROMANISM:
"nearer Scholasticism, Mysticism, devotio moderna and biblical Human-
ism: REFORMATION: including Luther, Melanchton, Zwingli and Buser;
RADICALISM: nearer Anabaptism, Libertinism and Anti-Trinitarianism"
(p50) •
Chapters eight and nine deal with aspects of Calvin's philosophical
background then the relation between the Renaissance and Reformation
("Contemporaries but not Allies")
Professor P.E.Hughes then provides a useful account of Jacques Lefevre
D'Etaples (c.1455-1536), Calvin's forerunner in France. At the age
of 25, Calvin journeyed to S.W .France to meet and confer wi th this
old man who predicted of Calvin "that he would be a distinguished in-
strument in the restoration of the kingdom of heaven in France! Today,
Lefevre and his worth are 'being rediscovered'. He had a firm grasp
of the doctrine of ju sti fication by faith alone wi th the consequence
that all the glory must be ascribed to God alone. William Forel (1489-
1565) t for example, says that Lefevre was the human instrument God
used to 'bring him to trust in Christ as his sole Saviour and Mediator'
(p103). One of the major tasks of e f ~ v r e was to rescue the LITERAL
sense of the Scriptures as opposed to the allegorical method of inter-
pretation so common at the time. The literal sense was the INTENDED
sense and Lefevre insisted that the proper literal sense was the sense
intended by the Holy Spirit. But this sense was missed if the Holy
Spirit was not present with regenerative power in the heart and mind
of the reader or student of the Bible. Lefevre then postulated a two-
fold literal sense: (1) 'the improper sense of those who are blind
and fail to see, and who therefore understand divine things only in
a carnal manner' and (2) 'the proper sense of those who see and are
enlightened'. This former sense is 'fabricated by human reason; the
latter is imparted by the divine Spirit'" (p100). Incidentally t
Lefevr'e wrote a short exposition of the Psalms on the basis of these
hermeneutical principles and his 1509 edition was found in the library
60.
of Dresden with its margins profusely annotated in Luther's hand-
writing,
In chapter eleven, Professor D'Assonville compares John Knox's doc-
trine of the Word of God with that of Calvin, Some general principles
are then elucidated, For example, the great merit in Knox's work is
the fact that he upholds the authority of the Ho ly Se riptures uncon-
ditionally just like Calvin, However, the difference between Knox's
and Calvin's views in the Institutes came to the fore clearly where
the substantive view of the Scriptures is concerned, The principle:
The Bible is the Word of God, receives a formal application in Knox
because he takes his basic premise from DeuL12:32, Their views also
differ in their version of the relationship between the Old and the
New TestamenL To Calvin there is no essential difference between the
two testaments but in the mode of administration, In Knox these
differences are in the background so that the relationship between
the testaments is one of identity, Again, Knox takes little cognisance
of the historical development of Ecclesiastical history with its
Chri stocentric character whir;h in turn had a one-sided effect on his
preaching (p126),
'Calvin as a Spiritual Theologian' is briefly considered in the next
chapter under three aspects: (1) his thorough knowledge of the Bible
(2) his views on the Bible and, finally, his application of the Bible,
It is refreshing to find competent Calvin scholars like Dr Potgieter
affirming Calvin's unconditional acceptance of the divine inspiration
of the Bible, The following six chapters are basic and stimulating,
Themes such as Calvin's view of man (Gen,2:15), Calvin's hermeneutics,
the scopus of the Scriptures, the problem of the concept of 'persona-
lity' of the Holy Spirit are dealt with helpfully, The final chapters
are restricted in their appeal but two chapters at least should be
read, namely, 'Calvin and the Protestant Hymns' then Professor J,B,
Torrance's 'Calvin and Puritanism in England and Scotland - Some basic
concepts in the development of Federal Theology',
Undoubtedly here is an indispensable reference book for those
seriously studying the life and theology of John Calvin.
The Editor apologises that, due to lack of space, two of his other
articles have had to be held back until the next issue, namely, 'The
New Hermeneutic (Part 2)' and 'Review of Theological Journals'.